Chimpanzee Distribution

Chimpanzee Distribution

The majority of Chimpanzees are found in the warmer areas of Africa. They are mainly found along the Central and the Western portions of Africa. Since they do need water for survival they are often found along the Zaire River. This runs all the way from Senegal to Tanzania. There are 20 noted countries around Africa where these animals live, but in many of these regions there are small numbers of them.

Since the Chimpanzee can hide very well in their natural environment it is extremely difficult to get a good count of them in the wild. It is believed that at least 100,000 of them exist. Some experts think that there is double that amount out there. Signs of Chimpanzees can be found all over in the mountains, the savannahs, and the rainforests.

The problem though is that they continually move around their home range. Therefore it is hard to identify what is a new group of them and what has already been seen by researchers. Sometimes there won’t be any Chimpanzees around in a give area for years and then they start to emerge. As humans invade their current territories they have no choice but to branch out.

Due to the vast locations around Africa where they are found, sub species have been identified. They have the same general make up of their species but some unique characteristics that set them apart. Experts believe these sub species have developed due to the overall environment that they are in and the food sources they have access to.

What is interesting is that based upon their distribution the communication that is used, the social hierarchy, and what they eat will vary. Chimpanzees are very diversified in their habitat in the same ways that humans are. You may live in the same town as many people but the lifestyle you live is very different from theirs.

Sadly, the distribution of the Chimpanzee continues to get smaller and smaller. There are some areas where they no longer exist anymore at all. In others they have a very small population and it anticipated that it won’t be long before they are gone completely. Action needs to be taken now to prevent the damages from continuing in that direction.

If we are going to help protect the Chimpanzee from extinction we have to take some aggressive steps. First, we need to get a better idea of their distribution. Only when we know exactly where they live and what their home range is can we protect it. Too often the trees are being cleared away so that when these animals return to a location there is no food and there is no shelter.

Such research though is very difficult to complete. Hopefully we can develop the right tools fro the job. In the mean time we need to do what we can to ensure where they are known to be distributed at this time is well protected. Some experts are interested in the idea of relocating them to other regions of Africa too where they may have a better chance of survival. More research has to be done to see if that is something that may prove to be beneficial or not.

The government of Africa doesn’t have the money or resources to do what all has to be done though. They have asked for help and are receiving it through NATO and private organizations around the world. Studies to give us a better idea of the Chimpanzee distribution should help us to do what is in their best interest now and in the future.