CHIMPANZEE

The chimpanzee is the closest animals to man and because of the same habits like man it is assumed that many million years ago we have the same ancestors. That evidence that it can make and use tools to help for many uses is astounding.

The chimpanzee is the same species as the ‘great apes’ such as gorillas and orang utans. The all share the same ape-like feature. The chimpanzee has a slight stout body and strong stocky legs. When the animals stands up the arms reach below the knees. Both hands and feet had ‘thumbs of the opposite and are extremely dexterous.

The face is long and rounded on top. The brow ridge is very noticeable on top of the eyes and has a protruding mouth.  The ears are large and round. The body is covered with hair but the face is bare and has a flesh coloured skin. As the Chimp grows older the skin darkens to black.

HABITAT

Today wild chimpanzee is only found in small areas in the west and central Africa. The animals live only in wooded areas because it spends mostly up in trees. It can be found in tropical forest, wooded savannah and up mountains forests up to 3000m

When the chimpanzee is on the ground it walks on all four. The hands hare turned in and it walks on its knuckles. It can develop quite a speed and it moves in a fast gallop. It has also had been observed to walk on its hind legs for quite a distance.  In the trees it walks either on all four, on its hind legs or swings from branch to branch. 

FAMILY LIFE

The chimpanzee lives in a large group called the community or unit group.  This group can be of about 100 animals but it is divided up within, to groups of six or seven animals. The have a great territory and the borders are fiercely defended. The relationships within the community or to other community are very complex. Males are very aggressive to each other and it is not that seldom that they get together and fatally wound another chimpanzee that entered the community.

All the activities are during the day and at night they bend branches and interwoven them to form a nest, up in the tree, to sleep in. It also has been seen some forming a nest during the day just to lay in it and rest.

Chimpanzees are also very noisy. They make all sorts of calls and noises. It varies from grunting noises when they eating, to loud hoots, screams and drumming on trees. The reason for each sound is not known. These noises can be heard 1km away.

YOUNG CHIMPANZEES 
PLAYING

DIET

Their main food is ripe fruit and they feed from four hours or more. A further two hours the chimpanzee is eating leaves. They prefer tree with lots on fruit on it so they can eat for hours from one place. The chimps are also eating other vegetable such as stems, seed, bark, resin, flowers and insects especially termites.  It had also been observed that they hunt and kill mammals with other chimps. They can be anything from pigs, antelopes, baboons and monkeys. Once they killed the mammals all friendship seized and the fighting over the carcass starts.

BREEDING

Breeding is at any time during a year. The chimps become sexually mature at seven or eight years. However, the females only give birth when she is 13.  Although the male’s sexual active but also only mate successfully when 13.

When female is ready for mating she will mate with several males in the group. Sometimes a male and female bond more and they will move aware from the group and mate only with one another.

Gestation is about 230 days. The female gives mostly birth to a single young sometime twins. When the baby is born she cradles in its arms. The moment it can cling the mother will carry it underside when she moves. After about five months the baby will ride on the mother’s back.

The young one is weaned when it is about 3 years old. After that it will stay with its mother for anything up to five, seven or even 1 years.  The mother will not give birth for another six or seven years but only if the baby survives.

CHIMPANZEE USE TOOLS

The chimpanzee is only second to human being to make and use tools. They make and use sticks to pull branches with fruit closer. They use stones to smash open fruits or shells. They even know to place the fruit on a flat stone before break it open of smash the shells.

Termites are a favourite food for chimpanzees. They are aware that if they stick their hands into the termite mounds they will be bitten therefore they use sticks or stems to poke into the termites nest. They strip the stick of bark and when the termites crawl up; eat the insect before they bite them.

Adult males use of branches or rocks as weapons when they fight or hunt.

IN DANGER OF EXTINCTION

It assumed that the chimpanzees are already extinct in various parts of the country where it was numerous. The overall count is reduced from several millions at the beginning of the 20th century to approximately 200,000. The decline has various reasons. One it was hunted because the chimp raids crops. The other was exported to zoos. It was also caught for research for medical purposes. The slow reproduction does not help to increase the number. The destruction of habitat is also one of the main reasons. Today the chimpanzee is classed as vulnerable and protected in many areas.

Experts classed the chimpanzees as primates and they belong to the Pongidae family with one species – Pan troglodytes – and three subspecies

Mask Chimpanzee – Pan troglodytes verus

Black-faced chimpanzee – Pan troglodytes troglodytes

Long-haired chimpanzee – Pan troglodytes schweinfurtii

The pygmy chimpanzee – Pan paniscus is some times considered as a separate species.