We are working to reduce unsustainable, illegal, and dangerous practical utilization of wildlife.

SAN DIEGO (Aug. 17, 2022) – Orphaned animals of several mammal species suffer socially and physiologically, and even if their mother dies after weaning, they may have lower survival than non-orphans. One physiological consequence of orphaning – stunted growth – had been discovered in humans and chimpanzee orphans.  A new study, published recently in the journal Conservation Physiology, shows that orphaning also stunts the growth of African elephants by an estimated average of 13 centimeters.

Chimpanzees are well known for their extraordinary diversity of behaviors—including using tools for hunting or digging, cracking nuts with stones and using moss as a water-drawing sponge—with some behaviors also exhibiting cultural variation.