Captive chimpanzees may soon be listed as an endangered species.WIKIMEDIA, THOMAS LERSCH
The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced a proposal this week to bump the status of captive chimpanzees from “threatened” to “endangered.” The proposed rule, which is open for public comment over the next 60 days, would limit permits to work with chimpanzees to projects aimed at enhancing the propagation of the species. The wildlife service would also require permits for the sale across state lines of chimpanzee cell lines, tissue, or blood.
"Chimps are an iconic species and among our closest relatives on this planet," said wildlife service director Dan Ashe in a statement. "We hope this will ignite renewed public interest in the plight of chimps in the wild."
The proposed rule change is a response to a petition filed in 2010 ...
