THE largest ever release of captive chimpanzees into the wild has been declared a success. Five of the 37 chimps released in the Republic of the Congo have bred in the wild, and only five have been confirmed dead. But the scheme was not trouble-free, and has raised questions over whether reintroduction is the most cost-effective way of conserving chimps.
The chimps were all wild-born animals that had been rescued from markets or from owners who no longer wanted them as pets. They were initially transported to islands away from poachers and predators by the charity Ecological Habitat and Freedom…
