Saving chimpanzees from the black market

In the south-west of the Republic of Congo, the Conkouati reserve is one of the country’s three largest protected areas, home to numerous wild species.

These include the chimpanzee, classified as an “endangered species” by the IUCN, whose population has fallen from 3 million to less than 150,000 individuals worldwide in less than three centuries.

To combat its disappearance, the HELP (Habitat Ecologique et Liberté des Primates) association has been trying for over 30 years to protect this species by rescuing chimpanzees from black markets and reintroducing them into their natural environment after a period of habituation.