CHIMPANZEE

Chimpanzees are great apes and our species’ closest living relative, sharing about 98% of the same genetic make-up. They live in forests and savannas in western, central and eastern Africa. Chimpanzees have a social lifestyle, living in communities of up to 35 individuals. They spend their days on the go in smaller parties from their community looking for food, such as fruit and nuts, insects and larger animals. At night, they each make a nest out of branches for sleeping.

Chimpanzees have long arms with grasping thumbs. Even their big toes are good at helping them grip objects and move through trees with ease! They use their hands to groom each other, which helps them stay clean and build social bonds.

These apes are highly intelligent and curious. They are great at using tools, a behavior they learn from others in their community. Each chimpanzee community across Africa has its own culture of tool use and social behaviors!