Snare removal by a chimpanzee of the Sonso community, Budongo Forest (Uganda)
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Date
2008
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Pan Africa News
Abstract
Hunting is one of the biggest threats to the survival
of our closest living relative, the chimpanzee. While
chimpanzees in West ad Central Africa commonly get
directly shot by hunters and subsequently end up on the
bushmeat market (see: www.wildchimps.org), the effects
of hunting on chimpanzees in East Africa are more
indirect. Hunters put up wire snares in the forests of East
Africa in order to catch duikers and bush pigs. However,
often snares catch other animals, such as chimpanzees.
Their hands or feet get caught in the snares, causing
subsequent loss of limbs or mutilation of hands and
feet. In the Budongo Forest, in western Uganda, snaring
is the traditional way to provide animal protein for one’s
family. The snare removal team of the Budongo
Conservation Forest Station removes snares from the
forest since January 2000 (further details see 4). During
the three years, from 2005 to 2007, BCFS staff removed
on average about 220 snares per month from Budongo
Forest. Nonetheless snaring injuries are frequent in our
habituated chimpanzee community at Sonso. During the
last year we had three new incidences of snared
individuals. As a result about 30% of the adults from the
Sonso community show permanent mutilation related to
snares
Description
Keywords
Snare removal, Chimpanzee, Sonso community, Budongo Forest
Citation
Amati, Stephen ...[et al]. <Note> Snare removal by a chimpanzee of the Sonso community, Budongo Forest (Uganda). Pan Africa News 2008, 15(1): 6-8