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extrapolations
Because the existing data is so limited, it is impossible to accu-
rately gauge the true impact of the illegal trade of great apes.
However, even a conservative estimate based on existing know
ledge suggests that large numbers of wild apes die each year.
Population-loss estimates require two assumptions: 1) an unde-
termined number of great apes die as a result of poaching and
trafficking; and 2) only a fraction of the great apes illegally traded
are ever confiscated. Law enforcement experts estimate that no
more than 10 per cent of all contraband is seized, however even
an estimated scenario where 50 per cent of all trafficked great
apes are confiscated yields troubling numbers.
Between 2005 and 2011, an average of 2,021 chimpanzees, 150
bonobos, 420 gorillas, and 528 orangutans were lost each year.
This means that during that period, a total average of 3,174 great
apes disappeared each year from the forests of Africa and Asia
through illegal hunting and trade.
Chimpanzee
Bonobo
Gorilla
Orangutan
Total
Confiscated/Confirmed
643
48
98
1,019
1,808
Undetected Losses (x2)
7,073
528
1,470
2,038
11,109
Presumed Dead
6,430
480
1,372
1,019
9,301
Total Lost
14,146
1,056
2,940
4,076
22,218
Number of great apes counted, presumed dead and lost, 2005–2011