Limb injuries resulting from snares and traps in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) of the Budongo Forest, Uganda

This study involved an investigation into the causes of limb injuries among the wild chimpanzees of the Budongo Forest, Uganda. In view of the high incidence of limb injuries in this population, an attempt was made to diagnose the physiology of the diverse range of deformities observed, and to provide a reliable assignment of causality. This enabled the authors to attribute 10 out of the 11 cases of limb abnormality to the wire snares and 'leg-hold traps' employed by communities living adjacent to the forest. One example of congenital deformity is described.