25+ Interesting Facts About Chimpanzees

1. Chimpanzees (both common chimp and bonobo) are the closest relatives of human beings. They share 98.7% of their DNA with humans. (Source)
2. Chimpanzees are physically more powerful than humans. But humans have more slow-twitch muscle fibers (used for endurance). These fibers allow us to walk and run long distances. It is not possible for chimpanzees. (Source)
3. Walking on two legs is a significant visible feature that distinguishes humans from chimps. According to a study, humans consume 1/4 of the energy while walking on two feet compared to chimpanzees walking on four feet (knuckle-walking). Chimps consume the same amount of energy when they walk on two feet. (Source)
4. Chimpanzees are the only great apes involved in the organized hunting of large animals. They usually target mammals on both ground and treetops. They frequently hunt monkeys, antelopes, flying squirrels, and tree pangolins. (Source)
5. The hunting behavior is so frequent and widespread among chimpanzees that they even over-hunt a few species. An example is the hunting of red colobus monkeys in Uganda. The population of this specific monkey has been reduced by 89% because of their merciless hunting by chimps. (Source)
6. There are four subspecies of chimpanzees (there is a possibility of 5^th subspecies). All these subspecies are present in various parts of Africa.
7. Bonobos are different from common chimps as they are slender build (also known as pygmy chimpanzees) and live in female-dominated peaceful societies. It is different from male-dominated aggressive societies of common chimpanzees.

   

   Chimps live in alpha-male dominated soceity
   
   

8. Chimpanzees have a very complex social structure. They live in an alpha male-dominated society. This alpha male achieves and retains this status through aggression and alliances. There are friends and opponents of this male. Different chimpanzee communities may indulge in wars for control of territory or mating rights.
9. Sometimes, chimps are kept as pets, but this is dangerous (and also illegal in many countries). There are several recorded incidents where powerful chimpanzees attacked other people after managing to retreat from their cages.
10. Chimpanzees have primarily type A blood, while type O is less common. In contrast to humans, these primates do not have type B and AB blood groups. (Source)
11. Due to their close relationship to human beings, chimpanzees are the most extensively used great apes for biomedical research. These mammals are commonly used for experiments on human-borne diseases like hepatitis B & C, cancer, autoimmune disease, HIV 1, parasitic diseases, etc. (Source)
12. According to studies, humans initially suffered from HIV after eating chimpanzees with SIV (Simian Immunodeficiency Virus) around 1920. (Source)
13. According to another research, Herpes Simplex viruses (HSV-1 and HSV-2) were transmitted from chimpanzees to humans tens of thousands of years ago. (Source)
14. Chimpanzees are known for using various tools smartly. They use sticks, rocks, etc. to obtain honey, nuts, ants, and water.
15. Humans and chimps are the only animals that deliberately send a message to another individual through communication. Wild chimps use 66 gestures to communicate 19 specific messages to each other. (Source)
16. Like a few other animals, chimpanzees also use medicinal plants to treat various diseases. These animals use various plants to relieve stomach pain and kill harmful bacteria, fungi, and parasites. (Source)
17. According to research on chimps in the zoo, chimpanzees can learn to use tools on their own. They do not need to learn this technique from other chimps. (Source)
18. The world’s oldest known chimpanzee lived for 79 years. This female chimpanzee died in 2017 at a safari park in Florida. Chimpanzees in captivity typically live longer than chimps in the wild. (Source)
19. USFWS (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) has declared both wild and captive chimpanzees as endangered species. There are 1,724 captive chimpanzees (730 in labs) in the USA. (Source)
20. Common human respiratory viruses are dangerous for chimps. These viruses can be transmitted from humans to chimpanzees and usually prove fatal. (Source)
21. Despite having similar genetics, there are several differences between human and chimpanzee brains. The brain of a chimpanzee is only 1/3 the size of a human’s brain. Additionally, humans have a double number of cells in the cerebral cortex (associated with memory, thought, attention and awareness) compared to cells in this part of chimpanzees. The network of brain cells in the cerebral cortex also acts differently in human and chimpanzee brains. (Source) 

    

    There are huge differences between chimpanzee's and human's brain
22. Chimpanzees can learn to communicate with humans but cannot talk like them. They cannot combine words to create new meanings. They can only communicate through facial expressions, postures, gaits, and gestures. (Source) 
23. Infanticide behavior is also present among chimpanzees. The main culprits are males who sometimes partially consume their victims. (Source)
24. To protect their offspring, female chimpanzees adopt various social and defensive strategies. They tend to avoid any situation that risks the lives of their babies. (Source)
25. On rare occasions, even female chimpanzees can involve in infanticide behavior. It usually happens in communities with more females than male chimps. (Source)
26. As omnivorous animals, chimpanzees eat a variety of foods, including fruits, seeds, nuts, flowers, insects, and meat (of hunted monkeys and small animals). The favorite food of chimpanzees is figs, which constitute around half of the total diet of this primate.
27. Chimps sleep on trees to avoid nighttime predators. For this purpose, they choose sticks of durable and firm trees as their beds (nests). It provides them protection and comfortable sleep. (Source) 
28. Chimpanzees are also fond of fashion. This behavior is evident from an observation where they were found sticking grass in their ears.