Data from Landsat satellites, a joint mission of NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey, have been critical to helping the Jane Goodall Institute in their work to protect chimpanzees and their habitat. In this video, Goodall and JGI scientist Lilian Pintea discuss the transformational role of seeing changing habitats from above.
(NASA/Goddard) Â NASA Partners with Jane Goodall Institute to Protect Chimpanzees - How Satellite Data Changed Chimpanzee Conservation Efforts
Approximately 345,000 or fewer chimpanzees remain in the wild, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, a substantial decline from the more than two million that existed a hundred years ago. Humans' closest genetic cousins, chimpanzees are an endangered species, and scientists and conservationists are turning to the NASA-U.S. Geological Survey Landsat satellites to help bolster their efforts to preserve their forest homes.
"Chimpanzees are in crisis," said Lilian Pintea, a remote sensing specialist and vice president of conservation science for the Jane Goodall Institute, Vienna, Virginia, citing hunting and illegal bushmeat consumption, disease, illegal capture for the pet trade and habitat loss as the culprits.
Among these, habitat loss is visible from space.
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