Chimpanzees thrive in tropical rainforests – yet with the forests disappearing at up to 14 million hectares per annum, habitat loss poses as a great threat to the long-term survival of Chimpanzees. 

Slash-and-burn agriculture

Slash-and-burn agriculture involves the conversion of forests to farmland via the cutting down and burning down the vegetation in forests. The ashes provide nutrients to the soil, allowing farmers to engage in subsistence agriculture where they can plant food crops. Today, more than 80% of Africa’s primary forests have been cut down and replaced by farmland by the early 2000s. As a result, Chimpanzees face drastic habitat loss. Following the exponential rise increase in population in Africa, it is estimated that there will be further increase in the conversion of forests to farmland.

Extractive industries: Logging and Mining

When we undergo logging, it results in the altering and destruction of the Chimpanzees’ habitat which threaten their survival overtime. This is especially if the mature trees that the Chimpanzees sleep in or forage for food from are logged out. 

On the other hand, mining of precious metals and mineral ores, as well as drilling for oil, typically leads to human immigration and the building of roads, railways, and other infrastructure. This will result in increased accessibility to remote areas in the forest which promotes further habitat degradation and fragmentation. Therefore, Chimpanzees face a heightened risk of losing their habitat. Hunting of Chimpanzees for Bushmeat and Pet trade in forests will also be made more convenient as a result of mining and logging.

Industrial Agriculture

With the excellent economic prospects that oil palm plantations offer, African countries have started to cultivate this cash crop. Unfortunately, the spread of plantations is likely to alter the habitats of the Chimpanzees, with 42.3% of their habitats being suitable for oil palm plantations. Not only will this transformation of the Chimpanzees’ habitats affect their diet, dispersal, behaviour, and ranging patterns, the increased proximity to human settlements may also trigger the spread of diseases due to high rates of zoonotic disease transmissions between us and the Chimpanzees.