They feed the chimpanzees several times a day by scattering their diet all over the exhibits. The keepers work hard to make the chimps' lives as interesting and challenging as it is in the wild. Poaching for the illegal pet trade, disease, and habitat loss due to deforestation combine to cause this steep decline. At the turn of the 20th century, 2 million of them lived in Central and West African forests, but today only 100,000 to 200,000 remain in the wild. Chimpanzee conservationĬhimpanzees are among the most threatened primates in Africa. The median life expectancy of a wild chimpanzee is 31.7 years for males and 38.7 years for females.
Female chimps may remain with their mothers permanently. They are weaned at 4 to 5 years of age and may remain with their mother 10 or more years. Newborn chimps weigh 2 to 4 pounds and are completely helpless. Females are smaller, at 66 to 176 pounds and 30 to 36 inches tall.įemale chimps give birth for the first time at 12 to 15 years of age, and give birth every 5 years or so. Meat is a favorite food, and groups cooperate to hunt small to medium-sized mammals.Īdult males are 90 to 200 pounds and 28 to 33 inches tall. They are active throughout the day and feed on fruit, nuts, seeds, blossoms and leaves, insects, birds, birds' eggs and honey. Long arms and fingers and mobile shoulder joints allow them to move easily both in the trees and on the ground. This is called fission-fusion.Ĭhimpanzees have opposable thumbs, allowing them to grasp objects. Groups come together or split apart depending on how much food is available in the area. A male hierarchy determines social standing, with one male at the top or "alpha" position. These troops are multi-male, multi-female, and multi-generational. Chimpanzees live in family groups that sometimes join much larger communities.
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