Breakthrough project aims to help protect chimpanzees from risk of extinction

A groundbreaking method that could play a crucial role in safeguarding chimpanzees from escalating threats and the risk of extinction has been pioneered.

Academics at the University of Derby are working with scientists and zookeepers at Twycross Zoo to sample environmental DNA (eDNA) from the areas in and around the Chimpanzee Eden habitat at Twycross, and from protected areas and wildlife corridors in Guinea-Bissau, Africa.

The project aims to assess the conservation status of wild chimpanzees by using a range of traditional and emerging methods including, believed to be for the first time, the use of eDNA from air and soil samples to non-invasively detect the presence of West African chimpanzees.

When an organism such as a chimpanzee moves through the environment, it constantly sheds genetic material, including skin cells, mucus and/or faeces.

The DNA trace from this is known as eDNA. It can be collected from a range of environments and is being increasingly used to detect the presence of species and assess biodiversity, most commonly by taking samples from water.

This new project, which uses the method to sample eDNA from air and soil, is not believed to have been used before. It has been funded by the Arcus Foundation.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), chimpanzees are nearing extinction in many of the countries they call home, due to human action including deforestation and commercial hunting for bushmeat. The West African  Chimpanzee is classed as Critically Endangered by the organisation’s Red List of Threatened Species.  

Dr Joana Carvalho, Lecturer in Spatial Ecology and Bioscience at the University of Derby, is leading the project. She is working alongside University colleague Dr Alessia Bani and first-year PhD student Callum Carpenter.

Dr Carvalho said:

“In 1988, the West African chimpanzee was declared extinct in Guinea-Bissau due to a lack of information about its status.

“This important research utilises environmental DNA detected in a managed zoo population as a case study to detect critically endangered chimpanzees in the wild and, as of today, no study on the possibility to detect the presence of this species using eDNA from air and soil samples has been published.

“Conservation status gives us an idea about how threatened a certain species is, based on the number of individuals and their distribution. By getting this information using eDNA samples, we can better protect the species by allocating conservation actions. What is key is that when the conservation status of a species is classified as ‘critically endangered’, it is urgent to know where they are to effectively protect their habitats.

“It has been great working with Twycross Zoo on this project to initially test the innovative methodologies in managed conditions, and to then work collaboratively in Africa, to conduct data collection with us on what is a vitally important research project for the conservation of chimpanzees in the wild.

“This research will enable us to update best practice guidelines for surveying and monitoring of chimpanzees in the wild and promote community-led conservation projects in Guinea-Bissau.”

Dr Alessia Bani added:

“The University of Derby is a pioneer in eDNA and its techniques have also been adopted for species-distribution surveys by a range of governmental, charitable and scientific organisations.

“It is an honour to be a part of the team which is transforming the way different species can be detected, monitored and quantified. Our work is opening up avenues for the conservation of rare species such as the West African chimpanzee.”

Before heading to Africa, the team from the University of Derby collaborated with experts at Twycross Zoo to test the methodology. Air and soil samples were taken from areas within the Chimpanzee Eden habitat at the zoo for a trial of the investigation before applying this method to the wild.

Researchers used equipment called a Coriolis compact – a dry Cyclonic air sampler – and classic soil survey methods to test for evidence of the chimpanzees in the enclosure.  

The team also used a range of other non-invasive methodologies such as soundscape analysis and camera trapping whilst out in the wild, helping scientists to optimise monitoring programmes and to protect this iconic species from threats and possible extinction.

This novel methodology was then replicated in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa to assess the conservation status of West African chimpanzees.

Kat Finch, Conservation Science Manager at Twycross Zoo, said:

“We are delighted to be part of this collaboration with the University of Derby. 

“Projects like this are a fantastic example of the important role that animals in zoos, like ours, play in supporting and conserving their wild counterparts. The eDNA collected from Chimpanzee Eden allowed the field team to locate wild troops and collect data to reassess the species conservation status in Guinea-Bissau, which is incredible.

“It’s only by working together and joining forces to maximise resources, that zoos and other organisations can put an end to the extinction crisis and help to save endangered species, like the chimpanzee. We can’t wait to see how this project progresses and the impact it has.” 

Early indications from the research show that the population of chimpanzees is increasing, although the project – conducted in collaboration with governmental organisation IBAP (Instituto da Biodiversidade e Areas Protegidas) and several local and international academic and conservation organisations – will not be completed until 2026.

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