Habitat loss is one of the major threats to the long term survival of Cameroon’s primates. Cameroon has more than 20 million hectares of tropical rainforest, however, illegal and destructive logging threatens this precious natural heritage and the people who depend on it. The increasing demand for tropical hardwood from western countries, in particular, has put an unsustainable strain on the tropical forests in West Africa, the home of the great apes.

In addition to destroying habitats, the logging companies cut huge roads into the heart of the rain forest, providing easy access for hunters to once impenetrable forests. Poachers hitch a ride and bring back their spoils on logging trucks, often smoked to make identification difficult.

Climate change