- Chimpanzees can live to be 50 years old in the wild.
- The diet of the chimpanzee is very varied, comprising fruits, roots, nuts, leaves, plants, flowers, insects and a small amount of meat, normally derived from other primates which they occasionally hunt.
- As a highly intelligent primate species, chimpanzees communicate in a range of ways, including vocalizations, body language, facial expressions, hand-clapping, grooming and kissing.
- Chimpanzees are well known for their ability to make and use tools. This knowledge is passed down generation by generation.
- Being one of our closest cousins and sharing 99% of our DNA, chimpanzees are susceptible to many of the same diseases as humans.
The endangered chimpanzee, one of five species of great ape, inhabits the tropical savannas and forests of central and west Africa. It is threatened by the activities of another great ape, one of its closest relatives in the animal kingdom, with whom it shares 98.7% of its DNA – humans.