Wildlife Agency Plans to List Captive Chimps as Endangered: Plight of Wild Chimpanzees Highlighted

Chimpanzees are an endangered species, so why should captive chimps get special treatment? That's the question that wildlife officials are asking as they propose that there should be special permits required for their sale, use in research or other activities that may harm them. The announcement is one step forward when it comes to protecting this species that resembles us in so many ways.

In 1990, the Fish and Wildlife service declared that while wild chimps were endangered, captive chimps were merely threatened, according to The Washington Post. This gave captive chimps fewer protections, and paved the way for the National Institutes of Health to fund medical experiments using these captive animals. The split listing was the only one in the history of the agency and now, FWS Director Dan Ashe says that the decision was flawed.

Currently, the agency is suggesting a proposal that would require federal permits for medical research on chimps, sales across state lines, import and export and the "taking" (or killing) of a chimp. With about 2,000 captive chimps nationwide, this proposal would have a huge impact on the animals, according to USA Today.

"Chimps are an iconic species and among our closest relatives on this planet," said Ashe in an interview with USA Today. "We hope this will ignite renewed public interest in the plight of chimps in the wild."

Chimps are disappearing at a rapid pace in the wild. They're threatened both by bushmeat hunters and habitat destruction. In fact, scientists estimate that these apes will experience further declines as human population numbers increase and as people begin pushing into areas that were previously chimp habitats.

The idea of giving captive chimps further protections isn't new, though. A panel from the National Institutes of Health recently recommended that chimps be phased out of research. They suggested that a single colony of about 50 chimpanzees all younger than 30 years of age be maintained, but said that any other chimps should be retired to zoos or sanctuaries, according to the LA Times.

Currently, the ruling is open for public comment for 60 days before it's finalized in December. If it goes through, it's likely that this species will receive a little extra help, which may aid chimpanzees both in the wild and in captivity.