Chimpanzee

Common Chimpanzee is a species of ape occurring in equatorial Africa. Their preferred habitats are forested areas of various types from evergreen humid forests through deciduous forests to dry savanna woodlands.

They are omnivorous, feeding on fruits, leaves and bark of plants and trees, insects and they also actively hunt for meat, mostly smaller vertebrates and other primate species.

Chimpanzees are highly intelligent social animals, who are considered to be the closest living relatives of human. They do form communities of multiple males and females consisting of 5 to 150 individuals. Males stay in their natal community, the hierarchy among them is strictly linear and they also do dominate over the females in the group. During the females’ oestrus, indicated by apparent swellings of the external genitalia and buttock, males monopolize (restrict from the rest of the group and protecting against the other males) the females to ensure the privilege of mating. The young chimpanzees are dependent on mothers for very long time, the weaning comes at around 4 years of age and they do reach the sexual maturity when they are approximately 11 years old, which is also the age when young females disperse from their natal group.