Humans monkeying with chimps’ ‘culture’

Now we’re ruining the lives of our closest animal relatives.

Human activity is wreaking havoc on chimpanzee “culture,” a study suggests, as people continue to expand into what had been wild areas in central and western Africa.

So humans aren’t only wiping out chimp populations, they’re also decimating the animals’ unique behavioral traditions.

Cultural behaviors drop by as much as 88 percent, the study says, for the chimps that live near humans. Study authors suggest the animals’ behavior diversity should be protected along with the species itself.

“In one national park, chimps are known for fishing algae. In another they crack nuts or have certain hunting methods or fish for termites,” said study lead author Hjalmar Kuhl, a primatologist at Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. Others may throw stones.

These distinct behaviors are passed on from one generation to the next, according to Science magazine.

Causes of the disruptions are human activities such as deforestation, habitat degradation, poaching and climate change. The disruptions affect not only chimp behaviors but also the animals themselves, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society.

During the 10-year research study, which the society calls the “most complete description of chimpanzee culture to date,” scientists observed 144 chimp groups in 15 countries throughout the entire geographic range of wild chimps in Africa.

The authors say the findings highlight the need to expand conservation policies.

Emma Stokes, the society’s central African director, warned, “We risk destroying these forests before even discovering what secrets they hold.”