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[Josh Greenman <josh.greenman AT gmail.com>]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090324111818.htm

Raising The Alarm About Chimpanzee Massacre In The Democratic Republic Of 
Congo

ScienceDaily (Mar. 26, 2009) — Poachers in the Democratic Republic of
Congo (DRC) threaten the existence of the largest remaining continuous
population of chimpanzees in the world. This conclusion is drawn by
Cleve Hicks, based on observations made during his 2007-2008 survey of
towns, villages and forests in the Buta-Aketi region of the country.

Hicks, a researcher at the University of Amsterdam (UvA), describes
the plight of the apes and other forest creatures in a new e-book to
be released this week. Together with colleagues, Hicks was able to
take in five orphaned chimpanzees who will soon be sent to a sanctuary
in eastern Congo.

During his previous one and a half year study near the town of Bili,
the DRC between 2004-2007, Cleve Hicks, who works for the Institute
for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED) of the University of
Amsterdam, The Netherlands, did not observe a single chimpanzee orphan
or carcass in the area, despite the fact that chimpanzees were
numerous in the forests there. When Bili was overrun with gold miners
in june 2007, Hicks conducted a 13 month survey of large mammals about
200 km of Bili, in the Buta Aketi region.

He found that the chimpazees in this region had the same culture
(ground-nesting, snail-smashing, ant-dipping) as the bili apes, and,
as at Bili, were found even within 15 km of all major population
centers surveyed. He concludes that the chimpanzees of northern DRC
have not yet become fragmented into scattered populations by human
activities.

However, during this most recent study period, Hicks and his staff
witnessed 34 chimpanzee orphans and 31 carcasses for sale in the
Buta-Aketi-Bambesa area.  In addition, the team documented 10 okapi
skins, 9 leopard skins, the parts of 13 elephants and hundreds of
monkey orphans and carcasses.  Locals have told Hicks that up to a few
years ago there was very little poaching (except for elephants) in the
area, and that it is the mining of diamonds and gold that has lead to
the current slaughter of wildlife. Sadly, there is evidence that the
bushmeat trade is spreading rapidly into the Bili and Rubi-Tele
protected areas, both of which have been recently invaded by illegal
miners. Since Hicks left in november 2008, his colleagues Laura Darby
and Adam Singh have observed another seven chimpanzee orphans and 3
carcasses.

Together with Darby and Singh, Hicks was able to take in five
chimpanzee bushmeat orphans who will soon find a home in a licensed
sanctuary in the DRC. In addition, the Wasmoeth Wildlife foundation is
now building a chimpanzee sanctuary called Boyoma in Kisangani.
However, according to Hicks this does not change the fact that if
something is not done now, we will soon lose one of the largest
remaining tracts of untouched wilderness on the planet, and with it
will go the apes, elephants, okapis and traditional human societies
that depend upon its existence.