Research chimps may get endangered species protection

The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has initiated a review of whether all chimpanzees, including those in captivity, should be protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

The move, a response to a legal petition filed last year by The Humane Society and others, could result in changes that would make it much more difficult for scientists in the US to gain access to chimpanzees for biological and behavioural research.