Saving Great Apes and Their Habitats 

Saving Great Apes and Their Habitats: This article dives into the non-human members of the Great Ape family, exploring the challenges they encounter and the efforts underway to safeguard and preserve these amazing animals.  Chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans show some pretty fascinating social behaviors and are quite smart too.  Plus, they’re our closest animal relatives!  Come along as we dive into their special characteristics, discover more about where they live, and look at the hurdles they face to keep thriving.

Let’s get to know the Great Apes!

Did you know that chimpanzees are our closest living relatives? They share around 95% of our DNA, which is pretty fascinating!  They’re really smart, have intricate social setups, and each has its own unique culture.

Hey, have you heard about the chimpanzees in Kibale Forest, East Africa? They’re pretty fascinating!

Chimpanzees

Chimpanzees are pretty clever when it comes to using tools!  They can whip up stick tools to get ants, termites, and honey, use stone and wood tools to crack open nuts, and even fashion fishing branches to scoop up algae.  Oh, and they make sponges out of leaves too!

Check out these cool facts about chimps:

They really enjoy being social and often live in groups that can have as many as 150 members.
There are social hierarchies for both guys and gals.
Chimps really have a lot of different ways to express themselves, whether it’s through their facial expressions, body language, or sounds they make to communicate.
So, you know, tactile communication—like social grooming—happens to help resolve conflicts, reduce stress, and strengthen those connections between people.

More about Chimpanzees

Female chimps usually have just one baby at a time.
Young chimps usually start to become independent around the age of six to nine years old.
Chimps can be found in rainforests, grasslands, and savannahs.
Males often show their strength by acting tough.
Chimps eat a variety of foods, including plants, bird’s eggs, insects, and even small mammals.
At night, chimps typically catch some Z’s in the trees, cozying up in nests they whip up from branches and leaves.

Chimpanzees in trees in kibale forest national park

It seems that chimps have a knack for using specific plants as medicine to tackle diseases and get rid of intestinal parasites.
Chimps typically live around 45 years in the wild, but they can reach up to 58 years when they’re in captivity.
Did you know there are four different subspecies of chimpanzee?  First, we have the western chimpanzee, which hangs out in West Africa.  Then there’s the Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee, and you can only find it in Nigeria and Cameroon.  Next up is the central chimpanzee, which calls Cameroon and the Congo Basin home.  Finally, we have the eastern chimpanzee, which is found in a bunch of places like Burundi, the Central African Republic, Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Bonobos

Bonobos: They used to be considered a type of chimpanzee, and you might still hear them called Pygmy chimps, but they actually have quite a few differences from their great ape cousins.

A group of bonobos having fun

Did you know that bonobos share about 98.5% of their DNA with humans?  They’re pretty unique as the only great ape society that’s led by females.  Their social structure is really interesting too, promoting cooperation and peace among them.  Did you know that bonobos have something in common with us humans? They both have spindle neurons in their brains, and these little guys seem to play a big role in how we experience empathy.  Check out these cool facts about bonobos:

Did you know that bonobos can jump as high as 27.5 inches?  That’s quite a bit more than humans, who can manage around 16 to 24 inches when they leap!
Males get their standing in the group based on how their mothers are viewed.
Male bonobos actually form a lifelong bond with their moms and stick around with her troop for their entire lives.
Female bonobos often team up to keep the more aggressive or unruly males in check.
Bonobos have been spotted using a plant they typically don’t munch on to help get rid of parasites?  Pretty interesting, right?
A matriarchal group can have as many as 100 members.
They eat a variety of foods, including fruit, plants, insects, flying squirrels, bats, and sometimes even small antelope.

More about bonobos

Once a female hits sexual maturity, she’ll team up with a different group to keep things genetically diverse.
Bonobos have sex for all sorts of reasons.  They do it to build connections, ease tension, show excitement, say hello, promote sharing and kindness, and of course, to have babies.
Male bonobos don’t get involved in raising the young ones.
Bonobos really love hanging out in trees! They spend most of their time foraging for fruit or catching some Z’s in nests they build up in the branches.
These really help out with spreading seeds from the fruits they eat.
They are only found in a specific area of about 500,000 square kilometers, which is roughly 190,000 square miles, located in the Congo Basin in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central Africa.  They particularly thrive in Salonga National Park.

Gorillas

Gorillas come in two main types in the wild: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla.  So, there are actually four subspecies when we break it down: eastern gorillas have the mountain and eastern lowland subspecies, and then western gorillas are divided into the Cross River and western lowland subspecies.

The main thing that sets them apart is their size; eastern gorillas are usually bigger than western gorillas.

Did you know that there are only about 200 to 300 Cross River Gorillas left in the wild? That really highlights how critically endangered they are.  Cross River gorillas are found in the forests and rainforests of Nigeria and Cameroon.

Mountain Gorilla: So, the mountain gorilla hangs out in those high-altitude forests, right?  They’ve got this thick fur that really helps them stay cozy when it gets chilly. You can find them in Rwanda, Uganda, and the Virunga Mountains in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Western Lowland Gorilla: This subspecies is the most common among gorillas.  They’re a bit smaller than the others, sporting a wider skull, smaller ears, and a brown-gray coat.  Western Lowland gorillas can be found in secluded swamps and the Republic of Congo.
The Eastern Lowland Gorilla is actually the biggest type of gorilla out there.  You’ll find it hanging out in the tropical rainforests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Just like the other great apes, the Eastern Lowland gorilla is in a really tough spot and is critically endangered.

A family group of gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, Uganda.

Gorillas are really interesting creatures!  They’re the most human-like primates after chimps and bonobos, sharing about 97% of our DNA.

Check out these cool facts about these amazing creatures:

Gorillas are technically omnivores, but they mostly stick to a plant-based diet, munching on around 40 pounds of vegetation each day.
The front legs of a gorilla are actually longer than its back legs.
Did you know that 80% of gorillas actually live outside of protected areas?
Since gorillas are quite similar to us genetically, they can catch human diseases pretty easily.
You know, mature males develop this cool patch of silver hair on their backs, which is how they got the nickname ‘silverbacks’.
An average silverback gorilla can weigh around 180 kg and stand about 170 cm tall when they’re on all fours.

Here is the more information you have to know about  Gorillas.

About 85% of a gorilla’s diet consists of leaves, shoots, and stems.  They also munch on things like larvae, snails, ants, roots, bark, and even rotting wood, which gives them a nice boost of sodium.
At night, mountain gorillas cozy up in nests they make on the ground or in trees.  Every day, new nests are being built.
Gorillas have 16 different types of calls? They can really be quite vocal!
Mountain gorillas hang out in family troops that usually have around 10 members.
Did you know that a group of gorillas is called a troop? It usually has one dominant male and a few females hanging out together.
Gorillas can live for more than 40 years in the wild? Interested in trekking these stunning Apes, contact Engagi safaris and all will flow smothly.

Orangutans

Did you know that orangutans call the Indonesian island of Sumatra home? They also hang out in both the Malaysian and Indonesian parts of Borneo. Did you know there are three species of orangutan? You’ve got the Bornean orangutan, the Sumatran orangutan, and then there’s the Tapanuli orangutan, which was found back in 2017.

An up-close view of an orangutan with its baby

Every species of orangutan is facing a critical risk of extinction. Bornean orangutans might seem pretty similar at first glance, but they actually have darker red coats and rounder faces. Check out these interesting facts about orangutans:

The name ‘orangutan’ actually means ‘person of the forest’ in Malay?
Orangutans, the biggest tree-dwelling mammals, actually spend more than 90% of their lives up in the forest canopy? Pretty fascinating, right?
Orangutans actually sleep in nests? They make these cozy spots using folded leaves and branches.
Did you know that orangutans are pretty clever? They actually use tools like sticks to catch termites and gather honey!
Adult males tend to keep to themselves, only hanging out with sexually receptive females for short courtship periods.
They have an arm span of around 2.2 meters from fingertip to fingertip? Pretty impressive, right?
Young orangutans hang out with their moms until they’re around 7 years old.
Orangutans actually use both their hands and feet when they’re out there gathering food and moving around in the trees.

More about facts of Orangutans.

Some adult male orangutans grow these interesting flaps of fatty tissue on either side of their faces, which are known as flanges.
Did you know that orangutans can live for more than 30 years in the wild? They really have a long lifespan!
They are  super smart? They’ve even been seen crafting a glove from leaves to deal with prickly fruits like durian!
Orangutans mainly munch on fruit and leaves, but they also enjoy a variety of other treats like nuts, bark, insects, and sometimes even bird’s eggs.
The orangutan can be found in some really important places like Gunung Leuser National Park and Tanjung Puting National Park.

Challenges for the Great Apes

Great Ape populations are shrinking quickly due to a variety of human-related threats, such as:

Habitat loss happens for a bunch of reasons, like deforestation from changing how land is used, logging, agriculture, palm oil plantations, human encroachment, and building new infrastructure.
Hunting, including the bushmeat trade, poaching, and using animal parts for traditional medicine, really puts Great Apes at risk of survival.
Highly infectious diseases, such as the Ebola virus, really put gorillas at risk. Plus, human pathogens are a big concern too, since these amazing apes haven’t built up the immunity to fight them off.
Climate change is causing weather patterns to get all mixed up, which affects how much food we have and the quality of habitats. Plus, it’s making wildfires happen more often, resulting in even more habitat loss.

Human conflict, like civil unrest and ongoing warfare, really messes with habitats and causes populations to fragment and get displaced. This is especially true in some areas of Africa where chimps, gorillas, and bonobos live.
Did you know that baby great apes are often taken from their mothers after they’ve been hunted? It’s really sad because they’re then sold on the black market as pets.

How can we help save the great apes?

Creating protected areas like national parks and wildlife reserves is a great way to safeguard great ape habitats and help ensure they stick around for the long haul.
When it comes to tackling poaching, the bushmeat trade, and the illegal wildlife trade, it’s all about working together.  Coordinating law enforcement and getting the community involved are key to making a real difference.

You know, restoring habitats is super important! Projects like reforestation and environmental restoration really help bring back lost habitats and give great apes more space to thrive.
Research and keeping an eye on things: Research on great ape populations in their natural habitats provides important insights into how they behave, which can help shape conservation efforts.
Getting local communities involved is key because they really matter in the effort to conserve great apes.  When we focus on education, it really helps us live together peacefully and boosts our efforts to protect one another.

Ways You Can Pitch In

There are quite a few conservation initiatives out there focused on protecting great apes and their habitats.  Hey, you can really make a difference by donating or, if you’re up for it, even adopting a great ape!  There are some countries that provide ecotourism tours, allowing you to experience the great apes up close in a way that’s ethical.  Check out these organizations you might want to support:

Born Free is a global charity focused on wildlife and conservation efforts. They’re dedicated to putting an end to the exploitation and suffering of animals, whether they’re in captivity or out in the wild.  Born Free is all about creating a future where animals and humans can live together harmoniously while also ensuring that threatened and endangered species are safeguarded for generations to come.  If you’re interested, you can donate to Born Free right here, adopt an animal over here, and check out the shop here.

Let’s talk about the World Wildlife Fund, or WWF for short.

WWF works hand in hand with local communities to protect natural resources and create a future where both people and nature can flourish together.  They work alongside partners at every level to change markets and policies for sustainability, address the challenges fueling the climate crisis, and safeguard and rejuvenate wildlife and their habitats.  If you’re interested, you can donate to the WWF right here, adopt an animal over there, and check out the shop here too.

More on how Apes can be contributed too.

Greenpeace is all about using non-violent creative action to help create a greener, more peaceful world.  They also take a stand against the systems that put our environment at risk.  Greenpeace has 26 offices in 55 countries, and they’re right there with communities on the frontlines, helping them protect the environments they cherish.  Hey, if you’re interested, you can donate to their work right here.
The Gorilla Organization started back in the early 1990s to back the anti-poaching patrols set up by the trailblazing primatologist Dr. Dian Fossey. We’ve got our fundraising and administration base in London, which helps out with fieldwork in Rwanda, Uganda, and DR Congo. Besides tackling anti-poaching efforts, we’re also involved in organic farming, tree planting, and even gorilla-friendly beekeeping! You can support their efforts by donating here, adopt a gorilla here, and check out the shop here!

The Jane Goodall Institute is all about promoting a better understanding of great apes and making sure their habitats are protected. They’re really taking inspiration from their founder and driving a movement focused on conservation that benefits everyone. They’re all about restoring chimpanzee habitats, boosting women’s health in local villages, and teaming up with their Roots & Shoots youth groups across almost 100 countries. It’s all about finding practical ways to create a lasting impact for animals, people, and the environment. Feel free to donate here and check out our shop here!