Endangered Species | Chimpanzee | Urgent: Protect | 5W Foundation

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IUCN Category:

ENDANGERED

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Species Name (Common):

Chimpanzee

Species Name (Scientific):

Pan troglodytes

Chimpanzees are intelligent, highly social primates native to Africa, and are closely related to humans, sharing 98- 99% of our DNA.

Habitat Type:

Forest, Savanna

Geographic Range:

Range:

Chimpanzees are found discontinuously across the forest belt of Africa. Found across tropical forests, woodlands, and savannas in Central and West Africa, including countries like Gabon, Congo, Uganda, and Senegal.

Estimated population of mature individuals:

Unknown, but known to be decreasing.

There are 4 subspecies, one of which is Critically Endangered … see main text.

Population Trend:

Decreasing

Primary Threats:

Humans – habitat loss (logging, mining, farming, development), poaching and bushmeat, illegal pet trade and disease, coupled with low population densities and slow reproductive rates.

Conservation Efforts:

Conservation efforts for Chimpanzees includes increasing, protecting, and preserving protected areas and national parks. More in-depth and better coordinated land-use planning. Increasing law enforcement education, involvement and effectiveness. Monitoring of law enforcement efforts and effectiveness. Implementing anti-poaching laws. Outreach to and awareness-raising with community education and ecotourism.

Importance in Ecosystems

Chimpanzees are critical for their ecosystems and hold significant cultural and scientific value, making their conservation a global priority. They are also very important as seed dispersers, as a result of their fruit-eating habits, aiding forest regeneration. In the wider food chain they, as omnivores, are both predators (of insects/small animals) and prey (to leopards and other predators).

Here are some key characteristics:

Physical Description

Size and Weight:

Adult males weigh 88–130 lbs (40–60 kg), females weigh 71–100 lbs (32–45 kg). They stand about 3–4 feet (0.9–1.2 m) tall when upright.

Their have a muscular body build with long arms suited for climbing and swinging. Their have hairy bodies with black or dark brown coats. Faces, palms, and soles are hairless and range from pink to dark brown.

They have several distinctive features, such as their large ears, expressive eyes, and pronounced brow ridges.

Behaviour and Social Structure:

They live in fission-fusion communities of 20–150 individuals, led by dominant males. Groups split and merge frequently based on resource availability. Male dominance hierarchies dictate access to mates and food; females are generally less hierarchical. Grooming is a key behaviour to maintaining social bonds and reducing tension.

Communication:

Much like humans, chimpanzees use vocalizations, gestures, and facial expressions to convey emotions and intentions.

Diet:

Chimpanzees are omnivorous. They eat plant-based foods (like fruits, seeds, leaves, and nuts. They also eat animal-based foods, occasionally eating insects, bird eggs, and small mammals.

Intelligence and Tool Use:

Chimps are highly intelligent, learning through observation and imitation, showcasing problem-solving skills and even a basic sense of self-awareness. Chimps are renowned for their ability to make and use tools, such as sticks to extract termites or stones to crack nuts.

Reproduction:

Mating – is polygamous; females mate with multiple males. Their gestation period is around 230 days (~7.5 months). Their offspring – they usually give birth to a single infant, though twins are rare. Parental care – infants depend on their mothers for up to 5 years and stay close until adolescence at 7–10 years.

Habitat:

They thrive in environments with abundant trees for nesting and diverse food sources, from dense rainforests to dry savannas.

Subspecies:

There are 4 subspecies …