Every year, infant chimpanzees are stolen from the wild to be sold into the international pet market. Chimpanzees are protected by international law, which makes the capture, killing or trade of chimpanzees or their body parts illegal. Despite this, adult chimpanzees are killed for their meat and body parts, and baby chimpanzees are trafficked internationally to individuals and organisations across the globe. Estimating the number of chimpanzees taken directly from the wild to fuel the illegal pet trade is perhaps an impossible task.

YOU can help by pledging to be a Chimpanzee Champion. By following these DO’s and DO NOT’s, you can help to reduce the demand for pet chimpanzees, and protect wild populations.

DO NOT

• Share, comment on or like photos of chimpanzees or other great apes dressed in human clothes
• Share, comment on or like photos of chimpanzees or other apes in human settings (i.e. inside a house)
• Share, comment on or like photos of chimpanzees or other apes ‘smiling’ or posing for selfies
• Share, comment on or like photos of chimpanzees or other apes clearly being kept as pets
• Go to places that use chimpanzees as a form of entertainment (i.e. photographs, performances)
• Watch movies or tv shows that use chimpanzee “actors”
• Buy cards or other materials with chimpanzees “smiling” or “posing”

DO

• Flag or report imagery and videos on social media that violate these guidelines
• Explain to your friends and family why images of chimpanzees in human settings can be harmful
• Take the pledge to do all you can to protect chimpanzees from being exploited!

World Chimpanzee Day will be celebrated on the 14th of July.