The US Fish And Wildlife Services have categorized all chimpanzees as endangered and plan to implement extra protection for the primates.
by Hannah Moore
July 7, 2015—Under the ESA (Endangered Species Act), freedom is on the way for research chimps.
The US Fish And Wildlife Services has declared captive and wild chimpanzees endangered, according to Nature World News.
The decision made two weeks ago prohibits the use of chimps in biomedical research, reported Nature World News.Houston Press. Captive chimps were previously listed as “threatened.” The new label only allows research on the animals that will “benefit the species in the wild, or to enhance the propagation or survival of chimpanzees, including habitat restoration," according to the press release.
Wild chimpanzees were first listed as endangered in 1990. Threats of habitat loss, poaching and disease increased since that time as the growing human population demanded more land and resources.
In 2010, organizations including the Jane Goodall Institution submitted a collection of petitions that called for listing all chimpanzees as endangered. This led the ESA to take another look at the status of chimps.
There are at least 700 chimpanzees currently in research labs, many of which have been raised specifically for biological research purposes. As a result of this new classification, many of them will be taken out of the labs and moved to sanctuaries as room is available.
Research on chimpanzees recently shed light on other threats to their species such as Ebola and parasitic infection.
“The decision responds to growing threats to the species and aligns the chimpanzee’s status with existing legal requirements,” said US Fish And Wildlife Services Director Dan Ashe in the release. “Meanwhile, we will continue to work with range states to ensure the continued survival and recovery of chimpanzees in the wild.”
The majority of chimpanzee use for biomedical research was deemed unnecessary in a 2011 report by the Institute of Medicine. Protest of this use of chimps has increased during the last few decades. Groups have rallied in favor of giving the animals legal personhood.
Many scientists object to the new ruling. Members of the National Association for Biomedical Research in Washington DC argued that no more research on chimpanzees would slow down advancement of both species.
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