The Chimp

Chimpanzees, along with gorillas, orangutans and humans belong to hominidae family. These intelligent primates are closely related to humans and lived in variety of environment in Western and Central Africa. Chimpanzee can live up to 40 years in wild but they can live about 60 years in captivity.

A full grown chimpanzee can measure up to 4 feet in height and can weigh up to 110 pounds. Male chimpanzees are usually bigger and heavier than the female. They have very long arms; in fact their arms are longer than their legs and have a short body. Similar to human, chimpanzee have also sense of smell, hearing, touch, sight and taste.

Chimpanzees are omnivores, they eat plants and meat. They forage for food in the forests during the day, eating leaves, fruit, seeds, tree bark, plant bulbs, tender plant shoots, and flowers. They also eat termites, ants, and small animal. They are very intelligent makes use of tools especially those in the wild, to acquire food and to scare away intruders. They can also easily learn complex task.

Chimpanzees have a complex system of communication. They have cries that warn other chimps of danger in the area; their danger call can be heard through the forest for about 2 miles. When there is an abundance of food, chimps bark loudly to call the others in their group to a feast. Chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans show laughter-like vocalizations in response to physical contact, such as wrestling, play chasing, or tickling. They use many gestures such as holding hands, hugs or kiss.

The 20th century saw a new age of scientific research into chimpanzee behavior. Before 1960, almost nothing was known about chimpanzee behavior in their natural habitat. In July of that year, Jane Goodall set out to Tanzania's Gombe National Park to observe the behavior of the chimpanzees. Her discovery that chimpanzees made and used tools was groundbreaking, as humans were previously believed to be the only species to do so. Chimpanzees used in biomedical research tend to be used repeatedly over decades, rather than used and killed as with most laboratory animals.