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11 - Evaluating the effectiveness of chimpanzee tourism

from Part III - African primates

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 September 2014

By
James S. Desmond  and
Jennifer A. Z. Desmond
Edited by
Anne E. Russon  and
Janette Wallis
James S. Desmond
Affiliation:
EcoHealth and the Jane Goodall Institute
Jennifer A. Z. Desmond
Affiliation:
EcoHealth and the Jane Goodall Institute
Anne E. Russon
Affiliation:
Glendon College, York University
Janette Wallis
Affiliation:
University of Oklahoma
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Summary

Introduction

Chimpanzee tourism confronts the same goals and concerns faced by all wildlife tourism initiatives. With the potential to generate funds critical to protecting habitat and help communities see value in the protection of native wildlife, wildlife tourism can greatly benefit endangered populations. However, designing and implementing tourism programs to benefit chimpanzee conservation specifically presents unique challenges. Unlike other species, chimpanzees’ nearly identical genetic similarity to humans puts them at an especially high risk of contracting human infectious diseases (Muehlenbein et al., 2010; Woodford et al., 2002), making careful evaluation of the benefits and limitations of chimpanzee tourism programs critical.

In this chapter we will discuss chimpanzee tourism by examining its history and development, its benefits and limitations for chimpanzee conservation, various procedures and protocols, and the unique challenges faced at three sites: Gombe and Mahale Mountains National Parks in Tanzania and Kibale National Park in Uganda. We will evaluate the overall costs and benefits of chimpanzee tourism as they relate to chimpanzee conservation and weigh the risk factors such as disease, physiological stress, and increased human conflict against the benefits such as habitat protection and increased protection from hunting and poaching.

Type
Chapter
Information
Primate Tourism
A Tool for Conservation?
 , pp. 199 - 212
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2014

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