CHIMP PESTICIDE ALARM
Chimpanzees and baboons in Uganda are being born with abnormalities, including limb deformities, cleft lips and reproductive problems, that are being caused by pesticides.
Wildlife in the northern area of Kibale National Park in western Uganda survives close to intensive agriculture, and chimps and baboons are known to raid maize fields especially.
Writing in the journal Science of the Total Environment, researchers say samples collected from 2014-16 showed pesticide levels in maize stems and seeds, soils and rivers close to chimpanzee territory exceeded recommended limits, and this probably led to the abnormalities they detected in 16 out of 66 individuals in the area.