Protect Chimpanzees under the Endangered Species Act
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has issued a proposed rule that would increase protections for chimpanzees under the Endangered Species Act.
Under existing regulations, chimpanzees in captivity in the U.S. are deprived of federal protection even though wild chimpanzees are listed as endangered. This discrepancy has led to the exploitation of U.S.-based captive chimpanzees used for entertainment, invasive experiments, and the exotic pet trade. Studies show that the use of chimpanzees in these industries hurts efforts to conserve chimpanzees in the wild.
The new proposed rule would result in listing both captive and wild individuals as "endangered," which would increase protections for captive chimpanzees while positively affecting the conservation of wild chimpanzees. To make this rule final, the agency needs to hear from you before the comment period closes on August 12.
Please personalize and submit the letter in the form below to send a message to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, asking them to help all chimpanzees by applying Endangered Species Act protections to captive chimpanzees.