“Wildlife film people tell me that Jackson Hole is their version of the Oscars,” Langergraber said. He hopes that publicity from the film will help motivate people to get more involved in chimpanzee conservation.

Chimpanzee populations have decreased dramatically all across their range in equatorial Africa over the past century and they are classified as an endangered species. The main threat to the chimpanzees at Ngogo and elsewhere in Kibale is illegal hunting. Although local people have cultural taboos against eating primates, chimpanzees are often caught in wire snares that poachers set to catch other small mammal species, such as bush pigs or forest antelope. Snares are a major source of chimpanzee mortality, and many “lucky” individuals who escape from snares and survive lose a hand or foot in the process. 

Langergraber employs nine Ugandans, some of whom are ex-poachers themselves, to remove snares from the forest and curtail other illegal hunting activity. Much of the funding for these activities come from donations from the public.

To learn more about chimpanzee research and conservation at Ngogo, visit Ngogochimpanzeeproject.org or Facebook.com/ngogochimps.

The "Rise of the Warrior Apes" screening is free and open to the public but a ticket is required to secure a seat.

Julie Russ

Assistant director, Institute of Human Origins

480-727-6571