Great apes are at risk of generational trauma due to the climate crisis

Great apes — which share nearly 99% of their DNA with humans — are now at risk of developing generational trauma due to the effects of climate change, CBC reports, citing a study (pdf) published in PLOS Climate.

What’s doing the damage? Researchers examined over three hundred sites where African apes live and noted temperature increases across all of them, then used projections of both 2C and 3C above pre-industrial levels scenarios. In these cases, some ape populations would be more exposed to extreme climate events like wildfires, drought, cyclones and heat waves. The greatest danger to apes is being physically broken up. Isolation and the loss of older members breaks down the entire group’s resilience, leading to potential generational trauma the longer extreme climate events last.

A call for action: To mitigate these risks, the study’s authors advocate for increased research on ape sensitivity and adaptability to climate change and emphasize that protecting apes requires addressing the root causes of poverty and food insecurity that lead to habitat encroachment. They also urge for the implementation of conservation measures tailored to the projected climate scenarios.