Historical Timeline of an Endangered Species - Chimpanzees
Chimpanzees have not always been a protected species, especially chimpanzees residing in captivity in the United States. Chimpanzees in the wild were given Endangered Species status in 1990, however, for the first and only time in history, there was a split listing. This meant that while chimpanzees in the wild were considered an Endangered Species, those in captivity were not.
This allowed chimpanzees in the US to be used in biomedical research, the entertainment industry, and the pet trade. Fortunately, in 2015 this split listing ended and all chimpanzees were deemed endangered, allowing them greater protection.
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