Introduction

The chimpanzee has been studied more intensively and extensively than any other species of non-human primate in Africa.

Little or nothing is known scientifically about the chimpanzee in most of the countries of Africa in which the species occurs.

These two statements seem paradoxical, but both are likely to be true. As regards the first, intensive studies of up to 30 years' duration continue at several sites, and matrilineal kinship in some communities is known for four generations (Goodall, 1986). Life-histories of individuals whose longevity approaches that of pre-industrial human beings are accumulating: a male (Goblin) born in 1964 achieved alpha-rank 20 years later, but may still have as many years of life left (Goodall, 1986). Literally thousands of hours of close-up observation have been recorded on some individuals (Goodall, 1986). Extensively, chimpanzees have been studied throughout the geographical range of the species. This stretches from the Mahale Mountains of Tanzania in the south-east to Mont Assirik in Senegal in the north-west (Lee et al., 1988). The straight-line distance between the two points is a staggering 5300 kilometres or 3300 miles. (For comparison's sake, the distance from New York to Los Angeles is only about 4000 kilometres.)

Considering the second statement, the chimpanzee could occur, at least in principle, in 29 countries in Africa (Lee et al., 1988; McGrew, 19896) (see Table 2.1). That is, at least part of each of these nations contains suitable habitat in terms of vegetation and rainfall and borders on at least one other country known to have wild chimpanzees.