The Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee (''Pan troglodytes ellioti'') is a

subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...

of the

common chimpanzee The chimpanzee (; ''Pan troglodytes''), also simply known as the chimp, is a species of great ape native to the forests and savannahs of tropical Africa. It has four confirmed subspecies and a fifth proposed one. When its close relative the ...

which inhabits the

rainforest Rainforests are forests characterized by a closed and continuous tree Canopy (biology), canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforests can be generally classified as tropi ...

along the border of

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

and

Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...

. Male Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees can weigh up to 70 kilos with a body length of up to 1.2 metres and a height of 1.3 metres. Females are significantly smaller. Like the nominate subspecies, the Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee has been classified as

Endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

by the IUCN, indicating a high risk of extinction in the near future.

History

The Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee has been classified as the fourth subspecies of

chimpanzee The chimpanzee (; ''Pan troglodytes''), also simply known as the chimp, is a species of Hominidae, great ape native to the forests and savannahs of tropical Africa. It has four confirmed subspecies and a fifth proposed one. When its close rel ...

since 1997 and is the least studied of these subspecies. Its populations are falling across its limited

natural range Species distribution, or species dispersion, is the manner in which a biological taxon is spatially arranged. The geographic limits of a particular taxon's distribution is its range, often represented as shaded areas on a map. Patterns of distr ...

, with between 3500 and 9000 individuals remaining.

Description

Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees weigh around 80 kg for adult males in captivity and 65 kg for adult females in captivity. They stand about 1–1.7 m tall when erect.

Subpopulations

The Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee is found in: * Gashaka-Gumti National Park,

(900–1,000 individuals) * Ngel Nyaki Forest Reserve,

* Banyang-Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary,

(500–900 or 800–1,450 individuals) *

Ebo Wildlife Reserve The Ebo Wildlife Reserve is protected area and proposed national park in Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeas ...

(626–1,480 individuals) * Mbam Djerem National Park,

(at least 500 individuals) During a 2006 survey in southwestern

, the Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee was found in Idanre Forest Reserve, Ifon Forest Reserve, Oluwa Forest Reserve, Omo Forest Reserve, Ise Forest Reserve, Ologbo Forest Reserve, and Okomu National Park. Chimpanzees were found in

Ondo State Ondo () is a States of Nigeria, state in Points of the compass, southwestern Nigeria. It was created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State (Nigeria), Western State. Ondo borders Ekiti State to the north, Kogi State to the northeast fo ...

Ekiti State Ekiti () is a state in southwestern Nigeria, bordered to the North by Kwara State for 61 km, to the Northeast by Kogi State for 92 km, to the South and Southeast by Ondo State, and to the West by Osun State for 84 km. Named for the Ekiti ...

Edo State Edo State, Edo, officially known as Edo State, is a States of Nigeria, state in the South South, South-South Geopolitical zones of Nigeria, geopolitical zone of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As of 2024, the state was ranked as the List of Ni ...

, and

Ogun State Ogun State is a state in southwestern Nigeria. It is bordered to the south by Lagos State and the Bight of Benin, to the east by Ondo State, and to the north by Oyo and Osun states while its western border forms part of the national borde ...

. Later surveys also confirmed that chimpanzees are also present in Akure-Ofosu Forest Reserve. This population is on the verge of extinction due to habitat loss, disease, and human activities like hunting. The genetic affiliations of this population are also unclear. A June 2008 report said the Edumanom Forest Reserve was the last known site for chimpanzees in the

Niger Delta The Niger Delta is the delta of the Niger River sitting directly on the Gulf of Guinea on the Atlantic Ocean in Nigeria. It is located within nine coastal southern Nigerian states, which include: all six states from the South South geopolitic ...

Habitat

The subspecies inhabits tropical rain forests and

montane forests Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial f ...

at elevations of up to above sea level. There are also populations that primarily inhabit

savanna A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...

habitats.

Lifespan

Individuals can live for 40 to 60 years.

Status and conservation

The Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee is recognised as the most threatened and least widely distributed of all the common chimpanzee subspecies, facing a high likelihood of

extinction Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...

in the coming

decades A decade (from , , ) is a period of 10 years. Decades may describe any 10-year period, such as those of a person's life, or refer to specific groupings of calendar years. Usage Any period of ten years is a "decade". For example, the statement t ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3645447 Chimpanzees Mammals of West Africa Mammals of Cameroon