Chimpanzees of West Africa

The chimpanzees that live in Western Africa have been waking the scientists’ curiosity up for decades. These chimpanzees 4.300 years ago already were using tools of stone to open the fruits with rind, as the nuts or the almonds. The above mentioned tools “to “crack” nuts are used by three communities of chimpanzees in the world: in Ivory Coast, Cameroon and the Republic of Guinea Conakry, in Bossou’s area.

The Chimpanzees of Bossou

The inhabitants of Bossou consider sacred to the chimpanzees and they have never hunted them. These Bossou’s chimpanzees, they are particularly creative in the use of tools: they hunt ants with twigs, handle a stick to obtain wild honey, make mortars to grind the fruits of the palms and crack nuts. A baby of chimpanzee is late an average of between 3 years and a half and 6 years in learning these technologies.

Where we can spot chimpanzees in West Africa?

To walk along rainy tropical forests in search of these apes with a good guide, it is one of the best experiences of a trip for Africa of the west.

Besides Bossou’s forest it is possible to find families of chimpanzees in other wooded areas of Africa of the west.

Thanks to the important conservationist efforts of international organizations, which work together with the majority of the local governments, there are realized good projects of protection of these apes, conservation of his habitat and activities ecoturísticas.

Some results of success of these projects are Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary in Sierra Leone, Cantanhez in Guinea Bissau and the Tai National Park  in Ivory Coast, which shelters the major community of wild chimpanzees of the whole western Africa. Also one works in the protection of the chimpanzees in Guinea Bissau, with the future creation of Boe’s National Park.