Chimpanzees are disappearing because of habitat destruction, hunting for meat, and killing of mothers so that their infants can be sold as pets locally or smuggled overseas for the international entertainment or medical research industries. There are no simple solutions when it comes to preventing the hunting and killing of chimpanzees. It is necessary to change attitudes. The Jane Goodall Institute, along with other like-minded organizations, is working with the African governments to educate the people on the value of wildlife conservation. Hunters and poachers can get a high price from the sale of infant chimpanzees.
Dealers get even more.
Government officials are often willing to confiscate infant chimpanzees offered for sale. They cannot be returned to the wild. Even if the place of capture is known, the mother will have been killed. And it is not possible to introduce an infant to another group. Like human children, young chimpanzees learn adult behavior by doing what group members do, by observing, imitating, and practicing.