Chimpanzees and humans are alike in many ways.

A baby chimp laughs when it is tickled by its mother.

After chimpanzees fight, they kiss and make up.

When one chimpanzee comforts another, it gives it a hug or a pat on the back.

Chimpanzee anatomy differs very little from human anatomy, and chimpanzees are considered the most intelligent of the apes.

Like humans, they have the ability to plan ahead. And while several animals can use tools, chimpanzees are the only animals besides humans known to ‘make’ tools.

Hunting styles:

On rare occasions, chimps will stalk their neighbouring baboons for meat. They rely mostly on surprise and superior strength to capture their prey. More often, chimps will dine on insects.

Their favourite way of capturing termites is to find and prepare a suitable twig for dipping into a termite mound. When a termite mound is invaded, soldier termites immediately attack the intruding twig. This makes it easy for the chimp to pull the twig out and lick the angry termites off.

Favourite food:

Chimps mostly eat fruit, leaves, seeds, and flowers. But they will also feast on ants, honey, eggs, caterpillars, birds, and sometimes small animals — even, rarely, other chimps.

Chimpanzees often share their food with each other. When a chimp finds a tree with lots of fruit, s/he may call the others to a feast. While eating, chimps grunt to show how happy they are.

Baby chimps:

Chimps love babies. The whole community is excited when a baby is born. Older chimps tolerate a lot of mischief and teasing from infants. They even let the babies jump on them!

Chimps usually have only one baby every five or six years. A female chimp could give birth to as many as five infants in her lifetime, but it’s more likely that she will raise a maximum of three.

A baby chimp weighs three to four pounds at birth. It will drink its mother’s milk and share her nest until it is weaned at four or five years old.

Their home:

All wild chimpanzees live in Africa, mostly in thick rain forests and in woodlands. Common chimpanzees are scattered throughout the mid-section of this continent, but bonobos, or pygmy chimpanzees, live only in the country of Zaire. This is the only great ape that does not have any national park or reserve.

Traits chimpanzees share with humans sometimes put them in jeopardy. Many chimps are captured for research and study to aid human medicine. Another danger chimps face is that people in Africa sometimes hunt them for food or to protect crops. But the biggest threat to chimpanzees is the destruction of their forest homes. Commercial logging destroys the forest or leaves patches too small to provide security and food for the chimpanzees in the region. Without major efforts to change the situations that harm them, all chimpanzees could be extinct in 100 years or less.

Fact file:

• A baby chimp la-ughs when it is tickled by its mother.

• After chimpanzees fight, they kiss and make up.

• When one chimpanzee comforts another, it gives it a hug or a pat on the back.

• Chimps are considered the most intelligent of the apes. Like humans, they have the ability to plan ahead.

• Chimps rely mostly on surprise and superior strength to capture their prey.

• Chimps mostly eat fruit, leaves, seeds, and flowers.

• They often share their food with each other.

• While eating, chimps grunt to show how happy they are.