Extinction of Great Apes

The great apes are humankind’s closest relatives. Great apes include gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans, and bonobos, which are also known as pygmy chimps. At the turn of the century, there were approximately one million chimpanzees in Africa. This number has declined down to 150,000. Mountain gorillas have halved in size over the last ten years, leaving only 320 to roam the trees of their homeland. Some say these great apes will face extinction within a decade. Why is this the case and should we let this happen?

These apes lose areas of habitat on a daily basis. They are also constantly slaughtered for meat and body parts. These two enormous contributors of great ape depletion are just unnecessary additional threats to the existence of our relatives. We must not forget that there is also disease and environmental catastrophes that kill off these intelligent human-like primates. Humans share up to 98% of their DNA. This makes the great apes a very valuable and important subject for study. There is a lot we can learn from them. Because we are so closely related, this may also be a link to global extinction. Perhaps a more thorough evaluation of each of the factors which contribute to the depletion of the four great apes may help to understand how damaging and unnecessary this depletion has become for them, as well as for us.

Loss of Habitat

One of the most influential causes for the mass decline in great apes is due to habitat loss. Habitat loss includes the clearing out of forests for agriculture, timber extraction, and fuel wood. The orangutan may be in the most trouble because of this. The last large groups of these primates are located in the large rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia. These forests are currently being destroyed by illegal loggers, planters, and also by forest fires. Many of these fires seem to be started by plantation owners. The act of logging is not just about taking down a few large trees. It is about stealing all of their resources. Great apes use their environment to build tools and to eat. If we continue to take away their primary food source, they are sure to die off. In addition to destroying their food resources, logging creates islands of rainforest. Cutting down trees, leaves gaps of open area. This causes an isolation of the great ape population.

The gap caused by logging also is a common cause of these rainforest fires. Generally, rainforests do not burn. However, because of these gaps, sunlight blares between islands drying out any brush or small trees. Fires dominate these areas.

Bushmeat Trade and Hunting

Another major contributor to the extinction of the great apes is the hunting for bushmeat. Bushmeat hunting is the term used in regards to the hunting of animals that are not regarded to as being a game animal. However, this meat is edible and frequently sold to poor townsmen. Some examples of bushmeat are antelope, rats, and most obviously, apes.

Many view the bushmeat trade as cannibalism, being that the great apes are so closely related to humans. Regardless, these great apes (gorillas in particular) are an effective way for hunters to make money. Miners often participate in the act of bushmeat hunting as they travel through the deep forests in search of precious metals. Hunting animals such as gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, and orangutans is also useful for other uses besides food. Body parts, odd decorations, and potions are also used as reasoning for the hunt. There have been many efforts to stop the act of bushmeat hunting, especially in Africa. None of them have been completely successful.

Hunting of this kind is not only terrible for the great ape population, but it is also hazardous for those who eat bushmeat. Since apes are so closely related to humans, it should be to no surprise that they carry human diseases. HIV is an example of a disease that has been transferred through the ingestion of chimpanzees.

Live Capture

The last major contributor of great ape extinction is the capture for study. Some laboratories use great apes, particularly chimps, as guinea pigs. Experiments