This slow rate of reproduction makes chimp populations vulnerable. But if a female loses her baby, she can give birth every year. Females mature at about 7 years but don't give birth until about 13-14 years. Males don't achieve high enough social standing to breed until they are 15-16 years old. Chimps and bonobos are threatened by hunting for meat.
Some tribes also use their bones for religious ceremonies.
Mothers are killed so their babies can be sold as pets. Because they are so similar to humans, chimps are still trapped and used in medical laboratories. Like all other wildlife, they are also threatened by habitat destruction. See also their page on how chimps are so like humans and the threats to chimps and cruelties inflicted on them. More primates More animals Copyright Singapore Zoological Gardens Docents 2000.