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Chimpanzee

Almost Human: Chimpanzees are our closest relative. (A difference of less than 1 percent exists between the DNA of humans and chimps.) Like humans, chimp young are born helpless and require a number of years of careful rearing before they are able to go out on their own. Chimps are very social and form tight bonds within their community.

Forest Food: Found in tropical forests and the wet savannas of West and Central Africa, chimps comfortably spend their days in the treetops or on the ground. Their diet consists of fruit, leaves, nuts and seeds, supplemented by ants and termites. Hunting red colobus monkeys for food by chimps has been documented and isolated cases of chimpanzee cannibalism have also been observed.

Toolmakers Too: Jane Goodall was the first to observe chimpanzees stripping branches from twigs to create a tool for scooping up termites from their nest. This observation revolutionized the definition of humans as the only toolmakers in the animal kingdom.

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MORE CHIMPANZEE

VIDEO: Ayumu the Chimpan-Genius

VIDEO: Escape to Chimp Eden

VIDEO: Zoo Chimp Rescue

VIDEO: Chimpanzee Behavior

PHOTOS: Chimp Photos by Brent Stirton

HELP: Adopt a Chimpanzee

QUIZ: Initiation Rites Quiz

INTERACTIVE: Anatomy of a Chimpanzee

EXPERT: Live Chat with Eugene Cussons (4/4/08)

MEET: Meet Jane Goodall's Chimps

DID YOU KNOW?

Affectionate Apes: Chimps are very affectionate and touch each other often. They kiss when they meet as well as hold hands and groom each other.

Devoted Moms: Chimpanzee mothers typically spend about five years nursing and caring for their infant before giving birth again.

Chimp Vocalizations: Chimps have specific calls to signify food and danger, and each chimp has a distinctive hoot that distinguishes it from the others.

Body Language: Chimps also use non-verbal signals to communicate, such as facial expressions and body posturing — much like humans.

Chimp Hunting Tools: Like early humans, chimpanzees use tools to hunt. In Senegal, chimps have been seen using long, spearlike branches — which they strip and sharpen with their teeth — to stab at holes in tree trunks where bush babies sleep during the day.

How Stuff Works

Can Chimps Learn Human Language?
Chimpanzees are perhaps the smartest animals in the world, but do they have the capacity to learn human language? Find out at HowStuffWorks.com.