Monday, February 28, 2011
The Story of Chimpanzees
- Chimpanzees are our closest living relatives, sharing more than 98 percent of our genetic blueprint. Humans and chimps are also thought to share a common ancestor who lived some four to eight million years ago.
- Chimpanzees live in social communities of several dozen animals, and can habituate themselves to African rain forests, woodlands, and grasslands. Although they normally walk on all fours (knuckle-walking), chimpanzees can stand and walk upright. By swinging from branch to branch they can also move quite efficiently in the trees, where they do most of their eating. Chimpanzees usually sleep in the trees as well, employing nests of leaves.
Why are chimpanzees endangered?
Destruction of Habitat
The drastic decrease in the number of chimpanzees began in 1960. Now, there are hardly 6 countries in Africa, which have the healthy conditions required for the breeding of wild animal species. The remaining countries have destroyed their forestland to convert them into farmlands. Massive cutting of forest trees have taken place to supply logs to various industries and to build new roads.
Unlawful Captivation
most chimps get caught by their captivators before they reach the age of five and thus spend the rest of their lives inside coops in miserable conditions. Conservationists have estimated that to save a single baby chimp from the captivators, on an average, ten chimps get killed in the process. The mother chimp and other relatives make desperate attempts to protect their baby chimps.
Slaughtering of Chimps for Meat
These people kill these harmless creatures not only for their own consumption but also for the purpose of trading, which is mostly illegal. Customers are ready to pay a huge sum of money to eat these meats. The sellers make large profits at the cost of endangering the survival of an entire species. It is estimated at least 4000 chimps are killed every year.
New plan to save the chimpanzee from extinction
The plan, which focuses on one subspecies of four, the eastern chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii), pushes for the conservation of 16 core areas that would protect 96 percent of the eastern chimpanzee population.
Minimize the threats to these populations and the ecological and cultural diversity they support.
reduce the rate of deforestation in chimpanzee habitat; better understand the threat of diseases to the chimpanzees; involve local communities in conservation efforts; and locate sustainable funding sources.
Why are chimpanzees endangered?
Destruction of Habitat
The drastic decrease in the number of chimpanzees began in 1960. Now, there are hardly 6 countries in Africa, which have the healthy conditions required for the breeding of wild animal species. The remaining countries have destroyed their forestland to convert them into farmlands. Massive cutting of forest trees have taken place to supply logs to various industries and to build new roads.
Unlawful Captivation
most chimps get caught by their captivators before they reach the age of five and thus spend the rest of their lives inside coops in miserable conditions. Conservationists have estimated that to save a single baby chimp from the captivators, on an average, ten chimps get killed in the process. The mother chimp and other relatives make desperate attempts to protect their baby chimps.
Slaughtering of Chimps for Meat
These people kill these harmless creatures not only for their own consumption but also for the purpose of trading, which is mostly illegal. Customers are ready to pay a huge sum of money to eat these meats. The sellers make large profits at the cost of endangering the survival of an entire species. It is estimated at least 4000 chimps are killed every year.
How to Avoid a Chimpanzee Attack
1. First, be sure that you are calm. Members of the primate family are generally good at reading body language and feelings. Make sure that you keep your breathing steady.
2. Try to avoid sudden movements. Chances are the chimpanzee will be scared of you too. Recognize that you are in his/her territory; make sure that you don't get too close unless invited (for instance, by its owner).
3. If the chimp decides to attack you, try and find an object to put between you and it. A door is probably the best one- get in a different room and stay there.
4. Be sure you call for help if you do get attacked! Don't hesitate to call others (including police) if you are afraid of a possible attack.
Are chimps aggressive?
Like human beings, chimps exhibit all sorts of diverse behavior, everything from compassion, to gentleness, to sexuality, to violence. You find violence in human society and you can find violence in chimps.
What causes them to attack?
The thing about chimpanzees is, we sort of look at them through our rose colored cultural glasses, the cute little chimp in the "Tarzan" movie. Those are very young chimps. Chimps grow up, they become very powerful. They are very complex in their behavior. They have a whole range of emotions, including violence and anger. You may see a display of compassion, at the same time, you can see chimp murder. We just got back from Uganda, and we actually looked at footage of chimps that had murdered another chimp.
Current issue about Chimpanzees
Chimps Attack
California — Chimpanzees come across to the public as little darlings, often in diapers and always willing to hold hands. But they’re really aggressors, primate experts say, more than capable of carrying out attacks as violent as one that left a man fighting for his life.
Generally weighing between 120 and 150 pounds with strength much greater than man, chimps in the wild are known to kill chimps from neighboring groups, hunt other primates and even attack humans.
“Male chimps are intensely territorial. They defend their territory against any perceived threat,” said Craig Stanford, a professor at the University of Southern California who studies primate behavior. “Chimps can be violent at times just as humans can be.”
Chimpanzees, with a genetic profile that's 98 percent like ours, can seem like cute, hairy iterations of people. But periodic violent attacks on humans, including one in Havilah, Calif., in 2005 in which a man was maimed by two chimps at an animal sanctuary, are reminders that the animal have at least one big difference: brute strength.
Chimps story
Chimpanzees are covered with black hair on most of their body (except their fingers, palms, armpits, and bottoms of their feet). Baby chimpanzees have very pale skin in the areas that have no hair and a white tuft of hair on the rump.
Senses:
Chimpanzees have senses very similar to ours, including hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch.
Chimpanzees have senses very similar to ours, including hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch.
Face:
Chimpanzees have a slight brow ridge, large ears, small nostrils, and an elongated snout. They are capable of many expressions. Chimpanzees have a hairless face except for a short, white beard in both male and female adults. Some adult females become bald.
Chimpanzees have a slight brow ridge, large ears, small nostrils, and an elongated snout. They are capable of many expressions. Chimpanzees have a hairless face except for a short, white beard in both male and female adults. Some adult females become bald.
SIZE
Male chimpanzees are larger than the females.
| Chimpanzees | Height | Weight |
| Female | 2-3.5 ft (0.66 -1 m) | 57 -110 pounds (26 - 50 kg) |
| Male | 3-4 ft (0.9-1.2 m) | 90 - 115 pounds (35 - 70 kg) |
BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL HABITS
Groups of Chimpanzees:
Chimpanzees are social animals that are active during the day (they are diurnal). They live in small, stable groups (called communities or unit groups) of about 40-60 individuals. Smaller subgroups of 6-7 chimps stay together for a while, with the membership changing over time.
Grooming:
Grooming one another (cleaning the hair of another chimp) is a major occupation among chimpanzees in a group.
Sleeping Nests:
Grooming one another (cleaning the hair of another chimp) is a major occupation among chimpanzees in a group.
Sleeping Nests:
Each evening, chimpanzees construct a fresh "sleeping nest" in the trees where they will curl up and sleep. These bowl-shaped nests are made out of leaves and other plant material. Nests are only shared by a mother and her nursing offspring.
Play:
Young chimpanzees play a lot, learning skills they will use as an adult. They practice using tools, making sleeping nests, climbing, wrestling, etc.
Play:
Young chimpanzees play a lot, learning skills they will use as an adult. They practice using tools, making sleeping nests, climbing, wrestling, etc.
HABITAT
Chimpanzees live in a wide variety of habitats, including tropical rain forests (in the forest edges and clearings), woodlands, swamp forests, and grasslands in western Africa.
COMMUNICATION
Sounds:
Chimpanzees have a complex system of communication. They have cries that warn other chimps of danger in the area; their danger call can be heard through the forest for about 2 miles (3 km). When there is an abundance of food, chimps bark loudly to call the others in their group to a feast.
Gestures:
Chimpanzees also use many gestures to indicate needs and emotions. Chimps will beg other chimps for food by approaching them with open hands. Friends may hold hands, hug, or even kiss. A worried chimp makes a lip-puckering face. A frightened chimp will bare its teeth. A smile indicates a relaxed, friendly chimp. When the lips are tightly pressed together, the chimp is ready to attack.
Chimpanzees have a complex system of communication. They have cries that warn other chimps of danger in the area; their danger call can be heard through the forest for about 2 miles (3 km). When there is an abundance of food, chimps bark loudly to call the others in their group to a feast.
Gestures:
Chimpanzees also use many gestures to indicate needs and emotions. Chimps will beg other chimps for food by approaching them with open hands. Friends may hold hands, hug, or even kiss. A worried chimp makes a lip-puckering face. A frightened chimp will bare its teeth. A smile indicates a relaxed, friendly chimp. When the lips are tightly pressed together, the chimp is ready to attack.
Monday, February 21, 2011
The Story of Chimpanzees
- Chimpanzees are our closest living relatives, sharing more than 98 percent of our genetic blueprint. Humans and chimps are also thought to share a common ancestor who lived some four to eight million years ago.
- Chimpanzees live in social communities of several dozen animals, and can habituate themselves to African rain forests, woodlands, and grasslands. Although they normally walk on all fours (knuckle-walking), chimpanzees can stand and walk upright. By swinging from branch to branch they can also move quite efficiently in the trees, where they do most of their eating. Chimpanzees usually sleep in the trees as well, employing nests of leaves.
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