All Chimps Designated as Endangered

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Friday that all chimpanzees will now be classified as endangered species. The distinction follows a 2010 petition from primatologist Jane Goodall to erase the difference in legal status between chimpanzees in captivity (considered “threatened”) and those in the wild (deemed “endangered”). Now chimpanzees held in captivity will receive the same protection as those in the wild. Any research, interstate trade, and export or import involving the animals will now require permits from the federal agency come September.