CAUSES OF EXTINCTION
Many primates, including chimpanzees, are disappearing because of deforestation. But that’s not the only reason…
In Guinea, poaching chimpanzees to sell their babies as pets is dangerously accelerating their decline.
The CCC actively fights against all the threats facing chimpanzees — and you too can help us, in your everyday life!Le CCC se bat activement contre toutes les menaces qui pèsent les chimpanzés et vous aussi dans votre quotidien, vous pouvez nous aider !
POACHING
The chimpanzee is a fully protected species. It is prohibited to: kill it, capture it, own it, sell it, buy it, or eat it.
Chimpanzees are poached to sell the babies as pets on the black market.
The adults killed to seize the baby are eaten in local dishes. The hands or skulls of individuals can also be illegally traded for use in traditional medicine beliefs.
What does the CCC do?
- The CCC raises awareness among local populations about environmental protection, in schools, towns, and villages.
- The CCC takes in chimpanzees seized by the authorities and rehabilitates them for a return to the wild. The CCC works in collaboration with local authorities in Guinea.
- The CCC acts as a civil party in poachers’ trials.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
👉 Report and avoid sharing photos of “humanized” chimpanzees (dressed in clothes, kept in a house…).
👉When traveling, avoid eating “exotic” meat (which may come from a poached animal).
👉 When traveling, don’t pay to take a photo next to a captive wild animal (which very often comes from the wild).
Social media is putting chimpanzees at risk!
“Cute” photos of baby chimpanzees presented as pets can lead people who have the means to try to acquire one themselves.
HABITAT DESTRUCTION
The destruction of chimpanzee habitat is caused by several factors: logging and mining, as well as forest clearing to farm the land or build structures.
What does the CCC do?
- The CCC raises awareness in villages to prevent the risks of deforestation and intensive exploitation of natural resources.
- The CCC works on community development, setting up projects in villages aimed at improving local livelihoods while remaining environmentally sustainable.
- The CCC collaborates with eco-guards to fight poaching and illegal logging in the Upper Niger National Park.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
👉 Check the origin of exotic wood. FSC and PEFC certifications guarantee sustainable timber harvesting with a lower environmental impact.
👉 Reduce the number of electronic devices at home and how often you buy new ones. Choose refurbished or second-hand devices when possible, and recycle your device once you no longer use it.
Did you know?
1/3 of the world’s bauxite reserves are located in Guinea. Bauxite is used to produce aluminum, found in our everyday electronic devices (phones, computers, etc.).
DISEASE, PESTICIDES, TRAPS
Disease: Chimpanzees share 98.4% of their DNA with humans, making them susceptible to human diseases. The reduction of their habitat and human expansion increase the risk of disease transmission.
Pesticides: the use of pesticides in crops near chimpanzee territory has an impact on their health.
Traps: “jaw traps,” even those set for other species, are extremely dangerous for chimpanzees who fall into them.
What does the CCC do?
- The CCC studies and monitors wild populations in the Upper Niger National Park using camera traps.
- Pesticides and traps have little impact on the chimpanzee population in Guinea, as they don’t correspond to local hunting and farming methods. Chimpanzees living in East Africa, however, are very severely affected by these methods.
One of the rescued chimpanzees arrived with part of a foot amputated. There is a strong likelihood this was caused by a trap.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
You can have a real impact on all of these causes by supporting associations working directly in the field.
👉 Give more visibility to associations on social media, for example by sharing their news.
👉 Become a member of an association.
👉 Use Lilo as your search engine. This tool supports numerous associations.
👉 Make a donation or sponsor a chimpanzee. Learn more
