CHIMPANZEES
CHIMPANZEES
Common chimpanzees belong to the genus Pan with four commonly recognized subspecies
Pan troglodytes
CONSERVATION STATUS: ENDANGERED
Common chimpanzees can be found across the forests and savannas of equatorial Africa. Their range includes the countries of Sierra Leone, Angola, Tanzania, and Congo where they make their homes in a variety of habitats from savannas to tropical rainforests, low-altitude forests, and mountain forests.
Four subspecies of chimpanzees have been identified, based on differences in appearance and distribution. See the subspecies below.
Pan troglodytes troglodytes
CONSERVATION STATUS: ENDANGERED
Central chimpanzees are found in the tropical and swamp forests of Central Africa, across Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon (where they have been studied the most). The Sanaga River in Cameroon and the Congo River in the DRC act as…
Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii
CONSERVATION STATUS: ENDANGERED
As their name suggests, Eastern chimpanzees are found in the eastern part of equatorial Africa. From north to south, their range extends from the southeastern CAR (Central African Republic) through northern DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo). The Congo River, a significant geographical feature, serves as their…
Pan troglodytes ellioti
CONSERVATION STATUS: ENDANGERED
The Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee, sometimes called Elliot’s chimpanzee, is native to the two African countries that give it its namesake. Geographic distribution is restricted to isolated patches of forest within southwestern Nigeria, the Nigeria Delta and floodplain, and to Nigeria’s eastern border north of the Sanaga River…
Pan troglodytes verus
CONSERVATION STATUS: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
The Western chimpanzee is found in West Africa with a fractured distribution between Senegal to Ghana. They may also range as far East as Western Nigeria, but we haven’t collected the genetic data to know if this is accurate. Populations of Western chimpanzees have been confirmed in Togo and Benin but have recently…