Common Name: Chimpanzee Scientific Name: Pan troglodytes
ENDANGERED Chimpanzee Distribution: Central and West Africa
Habitat: Tropical Forest Height: Approx. 120cm Weight: 35kg - 45kg Diet: Omnivorous Fruit, leaves, animals.
Chimpanzees are well built with very muscular arms and legs. They have dark brown or black hair covering all of their bodies except their faces, hands and feet. Generally they walk on all fours and are very good climbers. Chimps have a complicated communication using a whole range of hoots, screams, pants, body language and facial expression to get their point across! Chimps live in family groups, which can have 5 members and is controlled by one dominant male. They usually spend most of their time foraging for food or socialising with other family members. They are very social and spend much of their time grooming or playing. They forage in their family groups for most of the day and also form organised hunting parties to hunt for meat. They will eat any animal smaller than themselves ranging from insects to frogs and birds to small monkeys. Only the dominant male breeds and he mates every fertile female in his family. After mating the female is pregnant for about 8 months and then gives birth to 1 or 2 babies. These babies are completely dependant on her for two years when it starts fully interacting with the rest of the group. Juveniles become independent at the age of four and reach sexual maturity at six years old. If they are a male then they will leave the family when they reach sexual maturity. Chimpanzees are under threat from hunting and habitat destruction. The areas that they live in are being destroyed for human needs and they themselves are being hunter for the bushmeat trade.