Elizabeth says...
3) What is the total population and distribution?
As with every endangered species, this question is difficult to answer because you can't possibly take a head count of every wild chimpanzee. There are still areas of forest in Africa that are sorely lacking in basic survey data, and many recent workshops have attempted to identify these areas (The World Conservation Union). Chimpanzees are known to range from the far western coast of Africa, across central Africa to the western edge of Tanzania, but while they likely use to occur all throughout this area, their ranges are continually being fragmented by habitat destruction. Most experts guess the actual number of chimpanzees to be around 175,000-300,000 - divided between the four subspecies. In the US, one recent report estimates that there are 1500-2000 chimpanzees in US laboratories, 750 in private ownership and 300 in accredited zoos.
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