Save 2000 chimpanzees in West Africa

To decrease illegal anthropogenic activities in the Proposed Grebo-Krahn National Park (PGKNP) / Liberia, the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF) in collaboration with the Forestry Development Authority (FDA), collected data in 2015 for the third phase of biomonitoring.

Now, in 2016, the results of this biomonitoring are available and show that the illegal chewing stick harvesting signs were still high within the proposed park. Signs include chewing stick harvester camps and logging of Garcinia sp. (chewing stick tree species). Since the end of the biomonitoring data collection FDA law enforcement missions have taken place targeting chewing stick camps within PGKNP. Chewing stick roots refer to the roots of Garcinia sp. which have been dug up to sell.

The chewing stick trade is very important in West-Africa and is a threat over the whole trans-boundary Sapo-Taï Forest Complex. The new biomonitoring results showed that whereas in 2014, chewing stick activity were mostly found to the area next to the Cavalla River; in 2015 the spread of chewing stick activity now covers almost all of the central area of PGKNP, suggesting an intensification of chewing stick harvesting within PGKNP.

WCF is working with the local communities to collect information continuously to inform the FDA of such illegal activities causing huge damage to the primary tropical rainforest. We still need your support to help protect the habitat of the chimpanzee and stop illegal chewing stick harvesting in the proposed park, thanks for your support and generosity!