Chimpanzee

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Quick facts

Lifespan

Average of 45 years

in the wild

Diet

Fruits, plants, insects and eggs.

Monkeys, wild pigs and small antelopes are also hunted.

Habitat

Primary and secondary rainforests,

woodlands and grasslands

Range

Southern Senegal

to western Tanzania and western Uganda

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The Chimpanzees

Ida

Ida, the grand dame of our chimpanzee troop, cuts a striking figure with her silvery coat. Since her arrival in 1976 from Germany, she has mothered 8 babies. Her youngest daughters, Asha and Rah, remain with the troop. Ida is also a loving aunt, often helping to piggyback and comfort the babies of the other females. She’d often play the role of peacekeeper or disciplinarian during conflicts among the other chimps, sometimes knocking them on their heads with her knuckles!

Jungle gym

Our chimp exhibit models a hillside forest clearing and comes equipped with a jungle ‘gymnasium’ in the form of a multi-tiered timber platform structure. Fallen tree trunks and overhanging forest vines are purposefully placed around the area to enhance this primate ‘playground’. Given the high intelligence of chimpanzees (they possess over 98% of the genetic blueprint of humans), we strive to provide ample opportunities for our chimps to exercise and enjoy themselves.

Using tools

Puzzle boxes and ‘termite mounds’ in the exhibit are filled with condensed milk or honey. To get at the sweet treat, our chimps search for sticks that fit or shape unsuitable ones to do the job.

Chimps in the wild gather insect ‘kebabs’ or spear grubs in logs in a similar manner. They also use stones to crack nuts and leaves as napkins, or as sponges to dip for water. Tool use varies between communities - ‘culture’ may play a key part in knowledge transmission among chimps.

Information communication

Young chimps usually stay with their mothers till they are seven, in order to learn survival skills. One of these skills may be knowledge of medicinal plants - chimps that appear ill have been noted to seek out herbs with healing properties. Mothers and their young develop a close bond that may last a lifetime.

Chimps communicate through body language, facial expressions, hand-clapping, grooming and kissing. Some chimps have even learnt how to use human sign language!

Cooperative hunting

All known chimp groups hunt large vertebrates, though their strategies may differ considerably. Some merely collect passing prey, others hunt fast-moving prey in coordinated fashion. Some hunting roles require elaborate coordination with other hunters and precise anticipation of the prey’s movements. Chimps that perform such roles get the lion’s share of the kill. Young chimps may learn to hunt from the age of 10 but need another 20 years or so of practice to do so reliably.

Together, we protect wildlife

Many rainforest animals are threatened by deforestation, habitat degradation, and the illegal wildlife trade.

Visit our conservation pages for more information on projects that WRS supports, and to find out how you can get involved too.

The IUCN Status

Endangered

At very high risk of extinction in the wild

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species.

Data Deficient

Unknown risk of extinction

Least Concern

At relatively low risk of extinction

Near Threatened

Likely to become vulnerable in the near future

Vulnerable

At high risk of extinction in the wild

Endangered

At very high risk of extinction in the wild

Critically Endangered

At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild

Extinct in the Wild

Survives only in captivity

Extinct

No surviving individuals in the wild or in captivity

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Chimpanzee

Quick facts

Average of 45 years

Fruits, plants, insects and eggs.

Primary and secondary rainforests,

Southern Senegal

The Chimpanzees

Ida

Jungle gym

Using tools

Information communication

Cooperative hunting

Together, we protect wildlife

The IUCN Status

Visit us

You might also like

Need help?

About us

Events and Venues

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Press

Opening hours

Address

Chimpanzee

Quick facts

Average of 45 years

Fruits, plants, insects and eggs.

Primary and secondary rainforests,

Southern Senegal

The Chimpanzees

Ida

Jungle gym

Using tools

Information communication

Cooperative hunting

Together, we protect wildlife

The IUCN Status

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Data Deficient

Least Concern

Near Threatened

Vulnerable

Endangered

Critically Endangered

Extinct in the Wild

Extinct

Visit us

You might also like

Need help?

About us

Events and Venues

Get involved

Careers

Press

Opening hours

Address

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