The Chimpanzee Survival Quiz

Chimpanzees share 98 percent of our DNA, and sometimes our hairy relatives can seem almost human. But don't let this fool you into letting down your guard around chimpanzees. Despite our genetic similarities, these powerful animals can still be dangerous if they are provoked to attack.

Take our quiz to find out how well you would fare if you came face-to-face with a chimpanzee.

You are preparing to head into the forests of Central Africa, home to wild chimpanzees. Before you go, you make sure to:

Bring a whistle to blow constantly as you travel through the forest

Put on a neon vest

Put on clothing in muted earth tones

Put on a monkey suit

You chose: You chose:

Chimps in the wild are very vocal, so it is likely that you will hear the chimps before you come upon them. It is best to try to go unnoticed by the community, so whistle blowing and bright colors are a bad idea in chimp territory. Instead, wear clothes in muted colors that won't draw attention to you.

As for the monkey suit, do we really need to explain why that's a silly idea?

The chimps must be unusually calm and quiet today because you seem to have stumbled upon a chimpanzee community without hearing them beforehand. Now that you've entered their space, the best thing to do is:

Avoid eye contact and retreat as quietly as possible

Smile at the chimps to communicate that you mean them no harm

Wave your arms and shout loudly to alleviate any tension

Stand fully upright and pause, then slowly back away

You chose: You chose:

Chimpanzees don't like loud noise, so shouting is not going to do you any good if you come across wild chimps. They also don't like to feel as though they are being challenged by humans, so standing upright and baring your teeth (i.e. smiling) should also be avoided.

The best way to get out of the situation quickly and safely is to quietly and deferentially retreat from the area.

Unfortunately, there are young chimpanzees in the community that you've come across, and this can sometimes make the adults more aggressive. A large male chimp begins to move towards you in a threatening manner. You should:

Stop retreating and stand your ground

Continue to back off slowly, keeping your front facing the chimp but avoiding eye contact

Lock eyes with the chimp as you back away

Turn and make a run for it

You chose: You chose:

You don't want the chimpanzee to think that you are challenging him, especially because you don't really stand a chance against him. So keep retreating without making eye contact. Whatever you do, don't turn your back to him and don't run. That will only provoke him further. Avoiding eye contact will also help diffuse the situation.

You've tried to retreat deferentially, but it looks like you're out of luck today. The male chimp is still coming at you and he looks poised to attack. In order to increase your chances of survival, you should:

Roll into a ball and try to remain as quiet as you can

Kick and punch back with all your might

Turn and make a run for it (now is the time for running as fast as you can)

Scream and yell as loud as you can

You chose: You chose:

As hard as it may seem, your best chance for survival will come from your ability to stay still and quiet as the chimp attacks. In all honesty, you don't stand much of a chance against a male chimpanzee and you won't help the situation by trying to overpower or outrun him. If you curl into a ball, you will be protecting your face, neck and vital organs. All you can hope is that the chimp will lose interest before you lose your life.

It's futile to try to fight back against chimpanzees because of their:

Sharp, dagger-like canines

Arm strength

Enormous size

Both A & B

You chose: You chose:

The average chimpanzee is quite a bit smaller than the average human. Chimpanzees range in size from 4' to 5'5" and from 70 to 130 pounds. So size is clearly not what makes a chimp so dangerous.

They may be smaller than humans, but they are much stronger. Adult male chimpanzees have been shown to have at least five times the arm strength of a grown man. Combine this incredible power with razor sharp teeth and you have a very dangerous animal.

You managed to survive the attack by keeping a level head and not giving into your first instincts. But it can be hard to be so level headed every time. On your way back to safety, the chimp charges at you again and you give into the instinct to run. Now that you're being chased, your only hope is to:

Climb a tree to safety

Run into a leopard, the chimp's primary predator

Jump into a body of water

Hide in the underbrush

You chose: You chose:

The best way to avoid being attacked in this situation is to find a pool or body of water and jump right in. Chimpanzees can't swim, so you will be safe from your attacker while you’re in the water.

You can't get away from a chimp by climbing a tree (they're much better climbers than you'll ever be) or by hiding.

And while a leopard would certainly avert a chimp attack, then you'd have to deal with the whole new problem of a leopard attack. It wouldn't really improve the situation at all!

You made it out of chimp territory alive, but you seem to have bad luck when it comes to chimps. You find yourself being attacked by a chimp that is kept as a pet. This attack is:

Less serious than an attack by a wild chimp because chimps in the wild are more aggressive

More serious because a domesticated chimp has lost its fear of humans

Less serious because a domesticated chimp has often had its canine teeth filed down

Less serious because the chimp's owner can usually control the chimp and stop the attack

You chose: You chose:

Although chimpanzee attacks are always serious, an attack by a domesticated chimp can be more dangerous because such a chimp has lost its fear of humans. A domesticated chimp may even have some sense of humans' weakness, compared to its own strength. This makes it even more dangerous than wild chimps that have not been exposed to humans and may not be aware of humans' limitations.

Even if a domesticated chimp has had its teeth filed down, it will still be able to do a tremendous amount of damage if provoked to attack. Most importantly, a domesticated chimp is "domesticated" in name only. It is still a wild animal and its owner will not be able to prevent or stop an attack.

You've incredibly lived through two chimp attacks. Now it's time to give the chimp owner a piece of your mind and explain why chimps should never be kept as pets. Don't forget to mention that:

Some primates harbor deadly diseases, which can be passed onto their human caretakers

Chimps can never be truly domesticated or taught to behave like humans

Chimps in captivity can live for over 50 years, which is a long time to care for an animal

All of the above and MORE

You chose: You chose:

A chimpanzee attack can be a deadly thing and certainly something that you want to avoid at all costs. The simplest way to avoid chimpanzee attacks is by making sure that chimps aren't kept in inappropriate settings, such as private households. Baby chimpanzees might seem like delightful, adorable pets, but grown chimpanzees are powerful, wild animals. It's simply unsafe for humans to live in close, uncontrolled contact with chimpanzees.

Correct

Not sure you made it out of chimp territory in one piece, but hopefully you've learned your lessons and will fare better next time you come face-to-face with a chimpanzee.

Correct

You made it out by the skin of your teeth, but hopefully you've learned some lessons that will keep you out of trouble next time around.

Correct

You're a chimp safety expert. You have a healthy respect for these amazing, but potentially dangerous, animals, and that helped you stay alive and well during your chimpanzee encounters. Well done!

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