Chimps keep numbers high as forest losses mount

chimp mother and baby

Chimpanzees in western Uganda have fared better than researchers previously estimated.

Jack Lester

Chimpanzees have weathered human-caused forest loss surprisingly well, a new study finds. More than three times as many chimps inhabit patches of jungle in western Uganda than previously suspected. Genetic analyses of 865 chimp poop samples gathered over 15 months enabled the identification of 182 apes.