Chimpanzee Culture
Chimpanzees live, eat, hunt, and play communally in groups of 20 or 30 individuals or up to several dozen individuals. They call to each other to announce the presence of certain foods or the imminent danger of a predator. They have different warning calls for different predators, as one example of their rich language of calls and vocal expressions. Their range of sounds expresses everything from excitement to contentment to fear to joy.
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http://www.releasechimps.org/chimpanzees/chimpanzee-society/
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Dr. Jane Goodall touched by Jou Jou
Photo: © Michael Nichols from Brutal Kinship (Aperture)
Our Primate Family
Chimpanzees and humans share a common ancestry that is evident in our genes, intellect, emotions, and behaviors. We are different branches of the same evolutionary tree. Common origins: Humans and chimpanzees evolved in Africa from a common ancestor millions of years ago. Years of study have traced and documented our shared origins. Our understanding of chimpanzees has enhanced our knowledge of not only them but also ourselves.
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http://www.releasechimps.org/chimpanzees/our-primate-family/
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Mack Photo: © Save the Chimps
The Joy of Relative Freedom
The hardships of laboratory life begin with confinement. No one tolerates it well when freedom, will, or choices are taken from them. Chimpanzees’ intelligence and feelings, and certainly their bodies, are continually assaulted by the conditions they must endure in research and labs.
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http://www.releasechimps.org/chimpanzees/the-joy-of-relative-freedom/
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Tom Photo: © Fauna Foundation
When finally released from their laboratory prisons, chimpanzees meet their new found relative freedom with a complex range of reactions are a testament to the uniqueness of each individual. Some rush out to the fresh air, green grass, and sunshine or challenge their new surroundings with fist and hair raised high. Others walk tentatively into the open, looking for constant reassurance from an old or new friend nearby. Still others huddle against the building, unwilling to venture far from the familiarity of concrete. However they meet these first days, with time the emotional wounds begin to heal, their spirit returns, their bodies strengthen and they begin the journey they were deprived of years ago the journey to being their selves.
Source (read more):
http://www.releasechimps.org/chimpanzees/their-stories/tom/
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Arthur & Phoenix ready for their journey into sanctuary
Photo: © NEAVS
From Cage to Stage to Rescue: Arthur and Phoenix
The revolving door through which chimpanzees have been sold or abandoned from entertainment into research labs (see Butch and Chipper) has swung both ways. Laboratories have sold chimpanzees into entertainment, as was the case with Arthur (a.k.a. Ennio) and Phoenix. There is a happy ending for these two young chimpanzees, rescued in 2002 by NEAVS, who now enjoy life in sanctuary at Save the Chimps in Florida. Arthur and Phoenix were born at the Coulston Foundation, a notorious lab that closed down after years of mounting pressure for violations of the Animal Welfare Act and growing economic failure. Coulston resorted to selling young chimpanzees like Arthur and Phoenix into entertainment through a Hollywood animal dealer.
Source (read more):
http://www.releasechimps.org/chimpanzees/their-stories/arthur-phoenix/
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Jaybee picks colors bright and alive
Photo: © Save the Chimps
Their Stories
Meet some of the amazing chimpanzees who inspired the dedication of Project R&R. As chimpanzees are retired or rescued from laboratory research, their stories can finally be told by the voices of former laboratory or current sanctuary caregivers who are part of and witness to their rehabilitation. These are their stories, offering heartbreaking, moving, and humorous glimpses into their lives, personalities, and relationships.
Source (read more):
http://www.releasechimps.org/chimpanzees/their-stories/
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Facts About Chimps in the Wild
01. What Kingdom do chimps belong..?
Chimps are grouped in Kingdom: Animalia, Pylum: Chordata, Class: Mammalia, Family: Homididea, Genus: Pan, Species: troglodytes
02. Where do chimps live in the wild..?
They live in equatorial Africa in savannah or forested habitats.
03. What kinds of groups do chimps live in..?
Chimps are highly sociable animals. They live in groups that may be as large as 100.
04. How is the structure and ranking of group members differentiated in the wild..?
Each family consists of an alpha male. The alpha male generally has two to three prime males that support him. Ranking is generally acquired from intelligence and understanding and control of group behavior. Physical strength and size may help one climb the ladder, however, it is not the only determinant. Juvenile males and females make up the rest of the hierarchy. Females as well have a ranking order slightly less distinguished from their male counterparts. Females may work up the ladder through aggressive behaviors or simply gain the respect from being the mother of a high-ranking son. The hierarchy ladder is never permanent. As a matter of fact, most alpha males hold high-ranking positions for less than 10 years. Every offspring and a new member displace the original pecking order.
05. What is the wild population status of the chimpanzee..?
Chimpanzees are on the endangered list. At the beginning of the 20th century, nearly 2 million chimpanzees populated African forests. Today, that number has dwindled to around 150,000. The current rate of decline, the chimpanzee could be extinct in less than 10 years.
06. What are the main threats to survival to the chimpanzee..?
The main threat to chimpanzees in the wild are humans. Humans have created this significant threat by habitat loss, the hunting of adults for bushmeat, the capture of infants used to supply the local pet trade, the international biomedical trade, and the entertainment industry, as well as the lack of awareness and education to the public. The relative severity of these threats differs from region to region.
07. How do chimps communicate with one another..?
There are four types of communication chimps will use to convey information to one another: Tactile (touch), Olfactory (smell), Visual, and Vocal.
A. The ability to touch and communicate with touch is essential for young chimpanzees and important for social function for adults and all members of the family. It is necessary for young chimps and their mother to communicate with touch to develop normal social behavior, psychological response, and physiological development. Grooming plays a role in bonding, insures roles within the hierarchy, diverts aggressive behavior to calming behavior, and associates sexual behaviors, to name a few. Touching, hugging, and embracing are used to reassure members, serve as a greeting, and reduce antagonistic behavior.
B. A chimp's sense of smell is highlighted amongst any other of its senses.
Chimps can identify other family members by pheromones, urine, feces, or gland secretions. Each individual has a distinctive smell and the can indicate response, through sexual, dominance or threatening circumstances.
C. Visual communication can be seen through facial expressions, physical gestures and body language. Chimps have evolved many facial and body muscles to convey messages. For example, erect hair conveys agitation, or aggressive behavior; grinning portrays fear; prolonged starring interprets threatening behavior; and hanging lower lip portrays calm, relaxed behavior.
D. Chimpanzees don't have the power of vocal language because they have a different voice box than humans. Scientists studying chimpanzees have identified 32 different calls that are version of 4 call types: grunts, barks, screams, and hoots.
08. How good are chimps' senses..?
Their hearing and eyesight are about as developed as an average human. Their sense of smell is slightly better than that of the average human. They are approximately eight times stronger than the average human.
09. What foods do they eat and how to they gather them in the wild..?
Chimpanzees spend much of their day foraging for food. Because foraging may take a long time chimps must consume a lot of food. An average figure and breakdown of the chimpanzees diet consists of 65% fruit, 30% tree leaves and shoots, and 5% animal matter. Chimps are not strict vegetarians. When given the opportunity they will create tools to ?fish? for termites, grab a small animal such as a bird, and even form organized hunting parties to kill other mammals, (mainly colobus monkeys and bush pigs).
10. Is a chimpanzee a monkey or an ape..?
A chimpanzee is an ape. It is one of five great apes. The five great apes are Orangutan, Gorilla, Bonobo, chimpanzee, and Humans. There are many differences between monkeys and apes. Monkeys have tails; walk flat-footed on all four feet, have a smaller brain and monkeys have a smaller physical body size. It is believed monkeys evolved approximately 30 million years ago while the first great ape did not evolve until around 15 million years ago. chimpanzees evolved between 2 million and 5 million years ago. With limited scientific information the starting point of any evolutionary tree is variable.
11. What is the intelligence level of a chimpanzee..?
Apes appear to be among the brightest in comparison to any other non-human animal using the human brain as a reference point. Through scientific research and experimentations we, humans, have assessed the chimpanzees intelligence to be that of a three or four year old human child. However, a definitive answer to this question should not use tasks and tables developed by a subjective human and human behavior. Instead, one should consider the chimps intelligence relative to a chimp's conditions and chimp behavior.
Source (read more):
http://www.chimps-inc.org/
