What you’ll learn

Our free eBook follows the Bulindi chimpanzees through a story of how they lost their forest, what sharing the land with people costs both sides, and what it takes to protect them for the future.

  • The chimpanzees next door
  • Losing the forest
  • Living with conflict
  • When chimpanzees meet traffic
  • Protecting the chimps

The chimpanzees next door

Close-up of Joyce, a wild chimpanzee in Bulindi

Get to know the wild chimpanzees of Bulindi, who live in small patches of forest between farms and villages. Discover how they dig for honey with sticks, groom hand in hand, and adapt to a fast-changing landscape.

Losing the forest

Chimpanzees walking across a village garden towards a house

In fewer than 15 years, farmland replaced almost all of the chimps' forest. Find out why the chimpanzees moved closer to people, and how two neighbours became rivals for the same land.

Living with conflict

A villager watches two chimpanzees eating bananas at the forest edge

Chimpanzees are caught in traps, chased, and stoned, while farmers lose crops and fear for their children. Learn what the conflict costs both sides, and why protecting the chimps means helping their neighbours too.

When chimpanzees meet traffic

An adult male chimpanzee crossing the tarmac road in Bulindi

To move between their forests, the Bulindi chimps must cross a busy road. Discover the first study of its kind for any great ape, and how our Chimpanzee Monitors help make road users more careful.

Protecting the chimps

A family watches chimpanzees resting beside their home

Our Chimpanzee Monitors follow the chimps every day, and we help families protect the forest on their land. We also bring clean water to villages and help women start small businesses, so that living beside the chimps brings families real benefits.

Frequently asked questions

Does this guide cost anything?

No. The guide is completely free, with no obligation to donate.

How will I receive it?

As soon as you submit the form, we'll email the guide to you.

Where does the information come from?

The guide draws on 20 years of research at Bulindi, begun by Dr Matt McLennan in 2006. That includes a new study published in August 2026. Every source is listed in the References at the end.

How can I help protect the chimpanzees?

Your donation helps keep our Chimpanzee Monitors in the field, protects the forest the chimps depend on, and supports the families who share their land. You can also share the eBook with anyone who cares about great apes.

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Ready to support?

Help people and chimpanzees share the land in Bulindi

Your support is crucial in helping us protect chimpanzees, restore forests, and empower local communities. Every donation makes a difference and helps to protect these magnificent animals.

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