There are three motivations for the continued hunting mentioned here: economics, ignorance, and tradition. If it is important enough to us--the third chimpanzee--, then we should be able to address all three. On the other hand, we're the chimpanzee for whom a good burger is often considered better than sex.... for poor villagers, bonobos can be lucrative business, with much of the meat heading for expensive, clandestine meals at restaurants in the cities.
One bonobo can earn $200 for Richard Ipaka, a 50-year-old part-time poacher who lives in the provincial capital, Mbandaka.
"That's enough money for two months," he said.
Like many Congolese, he said he did not know bonobos are found in the wild only in his country. And like many others, he was skeptical that the ape is endangered.
"Our ancestors have been eating bonobos for centuries. How could they disappear?" Ipaka said.
`Hippie Chimps' Fast Disappearing in Congo - Forbes.com
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