Photo shows an orphaned chimpanzee rescued from being sold as a pet in the Republic of Guinea

Maiya Focht
·2 min read
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  • The Natural History Museum added 25 photos to its 2023 contenders for Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

  • One photo shows an orphaned chimpanzee in a rehabilitation center in The Republic of Guinea.

  • The photo illustrates the dangers that endangered species face, like poaching and habitat loss.

Chimpanzees are hunted for their meat almost everywhere they live. Parts of Africa and Asia are particularly well known for eating so-called bushmeat, including the Republic of Guinea.

Hunting bushmeat can be an important part of a country's culture, but chimpanzees are endangered. There are laws in place that are supposed to prevent people from hunting, killing, or selling the animals, according to Projet Primates.

But people do it anyway, according to photographer Roberto García-Roa.

"Poaching stands as a pivotal threat to the sustainability of natural chimpanzee populations," García-Roa told Business Insider in an email.

García-Roa confronted this problem when he took a journey to the Chimpanzee Conservation Center in Guinea. There, he learned that adult chimpanzees are mainly sold to be eaten, whereas babies are usually trafficked as pets.

"Unless we change the way we interact with this species and its ecosystems, we may bear witness to their extinction in the coming decades. No doubt, we need urgent changes," García-Roa told BI.

A photo called "Hope"

Chimpanzees in Kibale National Park in Uganda.
Chimpanzees in Kibale National Park in Uganda.Yannick Tylle via Getty Images

The chimp's mother had probably been killed by bushmeat hunters, leaving it orphaned, according to the official caption on the photo. When conservationists discovered the animal, they captured it so they could raise it until it was old enough to fend for itself in the wild.

García-Roa said he named the photo "Hope" because "there is still hope. Hope to change our present and envision a different future —one where the conservation of chimpanzees takes precedence."

This photo is one of 25 currently up for consideration as the public's favorite wildlife photo of 2023. Judges selected the candidates from 49,957 entries across 95 countries.

This is an addition to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest, which was developed and produced by the Natural History Museum in London, whose winners were announced in October of 2023.

After the public votes, the winners of the People's Choice award and the four runners-up will be announced in February 2024. Voting is open until January 31, 2024.

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