About Primatology essay

The Study of Primatology and Anthropology

The scientific study of the biology, evolution, taxonomy, and behavior of non-human primates is known as primatology. The accurate knowledge of animals with greater intellect, who are thought to be the closest species to humans, comes through in-depth analysis and investigation. Thus, there has been a lot of interest in their biology and behavior because it is thought that these factors may be crucial in developing treatments and vaccinations for certain diseases. They consist of baboons, gorillas, gorillas, and chimpanzees. On the other hand, anthropology is the study of the various facets of people based on their present and historical societies. It also involves comparing humans with other animals explaining the interest developed in primates due to the biological composition. Chimpanzees have aroused the interest of many. They are grouped into four main groups based on their location in Africa. Of interest is the Western Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) located in West Africa mainly in Ivory Coast. The number of Western Chimpanzees has been steadily reducing over time and they now face the risk of extinction. They have been included on the critically endangered list and thus their protection is necessary. The different populations of Chimpanzee groups differ in the threats and challenges they face which may be due to different cultures practiced by the people in those areas or effects of climate change. The environment may also play a big role due to the presence of predators. Therefore, the factors responsible for this decline have to be identified and measures put in place that the remaining chimpanzees are protected and provided for the suitable environment to breed and ensure that their population increases.

Decline of the Western Chimpanzees

The Western Chimpanzees have declined by eighty percent over a period of 24 years observed from 1992-2014 and hence landed on the red list implying that they are much-endangered species (Hjalmar et al 2017). This can be attributed to various factors ranging from environmental conditions to human activities. These factors can also work together resulting in a devastating effect. The decline has been occurring steadily over time but of late there has been a sudden increase in the rate of decrease which is a worrying trend (Walsh et al, 2003). Some of these factors include:

Diseases

The Ebola outbreak lead to the death of many chimpanzees and also affected gorillas in Central Africa. The virus which affects humans as well as apes led to drastic reduction in the population of Western Chimpanzees. It also led to hunting and killing of chimpanzees by locals who blamed the chimpanzees for the spread of the disease.

Degradation and Loss of Habitat

This can largely be blamed on human activities such as farming, mining, and logging. (Marchesi, 1995). This lead to small patches of habitat as remnants and they are usually unconnected resulting in the isolation of the chimpanzees and also competition for the limited available resources and hence death.

High Population

This has led to encroachment of people into nature reserves and the remnant forests. It has also led to deforestation which has led to only small portions of the original rainforests to remain.

Bush Meat

For a long time, it has been a source of protein for the natives especially those who live around forests but has gained a lot of popularity in recent times especially with the tourists and thus its demand in hotels has increased. This has led to poaching of the chimpanzees as well as its infants playing a big role in the decline of chimpanzees. It poses the biggest threat to the chimpanzees in recent time.

Climate

The West African climate has always experienced a certain type of climate attributed to its nearness to large water bodies and the equator and also the forests. The rapid deforestation has led to change in climate which in turn affects the availability of food. It also led to the prevalence of diseases that were not common to the region.

There are also certain traits which were found to make the chimpanzees more vulnerable to the above external pressure. The factors included low population density, having their first reproduction at a late age and also large intervals between one birth and another. Based on the recent activities and challenges facing them, these traits and habits which they were used to be no longer plausible but as a matter of fact acted negatively toward them posing a threat to their survival (Hjalmar et al 2017). Something thus had to be done and as a result, measures to fight this decline had to be established.

Measures to Conserve the Western Chimpanzee Population

These include the establishing and maintenance of conservation areas. These areas are quite important as they serve to protect the remaining members of the chimpanzee species. These areas usually help in ensuring that the chimpanzees will survive the hostile conditions while at the same time ensuring they have provided appropriate conditions for them to breed. (Marchesi, 1995). As the numbers increase, the mature chimpanzees are released into the wild to fend for themselves and set up habitats.

Mass awareness and education of the public as a whole on the importance of the chimpanzees not only to the ecosystem but also their economic impact on the country and the region as a whole. This is because tourists come to see wild animals which acts as a source of foreign exchange. They should also be taught how their actions have an effect on the ecosystem which will, in turn, have a negative effect on them.

The government has come up with laws to set up reserves and protected areas and also harsher punishments on poaching. This will help to reduce the cases of poaching and also act on the offenders that will act to deter those with similar ideas. The parks have rangers who protect both the flora and fauna from external effects.

Conclusion

The decline of the Western Chimpanzees over the years shows the situation that faces not only chimpanzees or primates but animals as a whole. This has happened over time and most of the factors are caused by human beings. It is thus necessary for measures to be put in place that will not only act to conserve these endangered species but prevent them from being endangered in the first place. This should not only be left to environmentalists but also the community as a whole and firm laws should be put in place to ensure that any breach of this will be heavily punishable. From this perspective, it is essential for conservation and preservation to be taught to the upcoming generations as well as current generation sin order to culture a positive environment for coexistence.

Works Cited

Kuhl, Hjalmar, Cohen Heather and Boech Christopher. “American Journal of Primatology”. The critically endangered western chimpanzee declines by 80%. 2017. Retrieved from www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajp.22681/full

Marchesi, Paul. Census and distribution of chimpanzees in Côte d’Ivoire. Primates. 1995. Pgs. 591-607.

Walsh, Peter and Latour, Stefanie. “Nature. International weekly journal of science”. Catastrophic ape decline in western equatorial Africa. 2003. Retrieved from www.nature.com/nature/journal/v422/n6932/full/nature01566.html