CHIMPANZEE

Chimpanzees are mammals that share the same DNA with human beings consisting of two species, Bonobo and common chimpanzees.

Types of chimpanzees and Bonobo

Chimpanzees are two distinct species, the bonobos living in south and the common chimpanzees in the North parts of River in Congo.

The common chimpanzees are large, male dominated, more aggressive, while the Bonobos are peaceful and female-dominated.

Their hair is typically black or brown; males have different sizes and appearance. Both Bonobos and chimpanzees their some of the most social great apes, they have social bonds among their members in their communities. Fruits are one of the main diets for chimpanzees. However, they eat barks, honey, vegetations, and insects or eat other Monkeys.

Life span

Chimpanzees live for over 30 years in captivity and wilderness.

Chimpanzees are intelligent and largest with brain among all primates.

They use a number of tools such as grass for constructing nests for night use. They have learning abilities. Although their considered to be endangered as humans, this causing to a large decline of population in both species.

Chimpanzees have longer arms than the legs; the common chimpanzees can stand up to 3.9 feets high. The  Male adult wild chimpanzees about 40 and 60 kgs while the females weigh between 27 kgs to 50 kgs.

The common chimpanzees have long arm span, which is half their body height. In both species they climb anything with their long, powerful arms on the ground; they use knuckle-walk, or walk on all the four, the legs and hands, by clenching their fists and supporting themselves on the knuckles.

Chimpanzees have no tails, they have black and dark body coats, the fingers, face, palms of hands and their soles feet are hairless.

The exposed skins o the face, feet and hands all vary from pink to very dark species which is generally lighter in the younger individuals in a family the parks keep on becoming dark as they mature. The Nose of a chimpanzee is flat as well as the bony shelf over the eyes always gives the forehead a receding appearance. The chimpanzee’s lips are thrust out only when it pouts.

The chimpanzee’s brain has a general measurement of 282 cm to 500 cm. The human brain, in contrast is about three times larger with an average volume of about 1330 cm.

Chimpanzees reach puberty between the age of eight and ten years

Reproduction

Chimpanzees live in multi-male, multi female communities. The females mate with multiple males and males generally treat all off springs as they are on their own .when females are on heat they show a bright pink bottom that signals to the males that they are sexually active or fertile. The female chimp becomes sexually active at 14 when they have their first child.    

Chimpanzees are always considered to be adult at the age of 15 years.well as a female chimpanzees will not be fertile again until when her child is weaned, this reveals how chimpanzees give birth every after 5 years since she will have 4-6 children in her birth interval.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Communication

Chimpanzees communicate with each other through a complex system of vocalizations, body postures, gestures, facial expressions. Chimpanzees communicate with each other over long distances with loud calls, beating the drum buttresses of trees; they use calls called pant-hoots.

 They always pant, displeasure by  flicking their wrists to whoever has offended them  and grunting, chimpanzees laugh while tickling and playing with each other, the hair of their body raises or stands up  whenever there a nervous, they scream when hungry and upset from fear  anger to joy ,they show how clear they feel .

Grooming

Chimpanzees have two purposes including cementing, cleaning, bonds of family and friendship. They rub their hands on each other’s hair, by removing dirty, dead skin, parasites. Grooming creates friendship, comfort and unit among chimpanzees.

Chimpanzees scratch the arms, legs, arms. Chimpanzees ask to groom each other by smacking their lips, clack their teeth together towards the individual who needs to be groomed.

Chimpanzees sit together as they groom each other they take turns as they groom each other as well as manipulate each other’s limb to get better access to a particular body part. Those ones groomed feel relaxed and might even dose off, chimpanzees enjoy being groomed and grooming.

CULTURE

Diet, behavior, communication and tools are used among chimpanzees in communities. The differences between communities are sometimes profound determining the amount of culture differences. Chimpanzees since share a human DNA making them our cousins this makes them to be threatened by humans, encroachments in the wilds and captivity.

Where chimpanzees are found

In Uganda visit them in Kibale National park where chimpanzees trekking takes place and others live on Ngamba sanctuary a center for orphaned chimpanzees.

Chimpanzee habituation experience is a daily activity that takes place to train chimpanzees hot to live near human presence without changing their natural ways. As one treks the chimpanzees expect to view them as they build their nests for night use between the morning hours at 5:30 am to 06:30 pm they always make new nests every day.

The chimpanzee habituation takes for 4 hours as one is given an opportunity to spot the chimpanzees as their trained to live close to human beings as they eat, play, groom and many more.

Chimpanzees are trekked everyday in Kibale after a short briefing from Kanyanchu briefing center at 0800 am to 15:00 pm for at least 2 to 3 hours a day.

Chimpanzees are a sought of visit by Tourists and visitors, there other primates to spot out during the trek the white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, grey cheeked mange bay. Trek with the guide as you spot they chimpanzees as they feed, groom each other, play, display their nests for one hour.

The trek takes place in a total number of 6 people .one is advised to book in advance for chimpanzee trekking permit since they might be scarce hence leading to   the missing of your chimpanzee trekking Tour/Trip.

Location

Kibale National park is located in the south west part of Uganda; it’s one of the biggest National parks in Uganda. The national park inhabits the chimpanzees, and its where chimpanzee trekking and habituation takes place. Your advised to book for chimpanzee trekking on time in order to obtain a Chimpanzee permit.

Chimpanzee trekking is done in Uganda in Kibale National park and Ngamba Island. However chimpanzees can as be spotted out during any other activities in the National parks including Gorilla trekking, game Drives, birding and many more.

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