Chimpanzee Facts

Chimpanzees are known as one of the most intelligent animals in the world and they are visibly much similar to human beings. Their nature and their actions have similarities with human behavior. In fact now it has been scientifically proved that chimpanzees are the closest living relatives that humans have. They should not be confused with monkeys and gorillas. These noisy and curious animals have always attracted attention of people around, some of them have loved these creatures and some have used these creatures as a substitute for humans. Here are some interesting facts about chimpanzees that would also give us some more relevant information about chimpanzee intelligence, their habitat, their behavior and eating habits.

Interesting facts about Chimpanzees

• Chimpanzees are not "monkeys" as stated earlier. They belong to the family of apes along with gorillas, bonobos and orangutans. Though all these animals belong to the same family, chimpanzees are closer to humans than any other animal.
• Chimpanzees have a stocky structure with long arms, short legs and no tail. They have long black hair, which covers their entire body except the face, ears, fingers and toes. They have hands and fingers, which facilitate a strong grip and allows them to pick up objects much like human beings and the fact that they can use tools and they do use simple tools in their daily lives astonished the whole world.
• Chimpanzees and humans share a DNA similarity of about 98.4% leaving only a difference of approximately 1.6%.
• The lifespan of a chimpanzee is approximately fifty years and they primarily are wild animals but in captivity these animals can live up to sixty years. A baby chimpanzee lives with its mother for approximately five to ten years after birth.
• They are omnivorous and their principal diet is leaves, buds and flowers of various plants. Sometimes they eat very selectively like only the ripest fruit, which they pick with their hands. Their diet also includes berries and seeds.
• Chimpanzees face the greatest threat from human beings and leopards. They are also prone to diseases, which also afflict human beings. Chimpanzees are also being used for biomedical testing and entertainment, which are taking a toll on their lives.
• They are found mainly in the tropical forests of Africa and approximately fifty years ago there were somewhere around a million chimpanzees in these forests but now they are gradually moving towards extinction with about 150,000 to 175,000 left in the wildernesses. The reason for such fall in the population of chimpanzees is the decrease in the forests and the increase in the "bush meat" trade.
• Chimpanzees spend as much time on land as much in trees though most of their eating and sleeping is done in the tree. They begin their activities at dawn as they descend from their night nest and start their activities. They are more active during the moonlit nights.
• Chimpanzees live in large communities of approximately 15 to 20 in a group and converse with each other with the help of grunts, screams and hoots. They are one of the noisiest animals and they are also very social and warm when they interact with each other. They kiss, hug and also show anger like human beings.