Mammal · GBIF taxon 5219534
Chimpanzee
Pan troglodytesAlso known as Common Chimpanzee, Robust Chimpanzee
Chimpanzees are highly social great apes that live in complex fission-fusion communities led by alpha males. They demonstrate remarkable intelligence through tool use, utilizing sticks to fish for termites and heavy stones to crack open hard nuts. Vocalizations like reverberating pant-hoots echo through forest canopies to coordinate group movements and maintain social cohesion.
SocialTool UserIntelligent
—observations
—countries
—peak records
EndangeredConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXEndangeredRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Fruits
- Termites
- Red Colobus Monkey
Predators
- Leopard
- Human
- African Rock Python
ThreatsDeforestation, illegal poaching for bushmeat, live capture for pet trade, and human disease transmission.
HabitatsTropical rainforests, swamp forests, mountain forests, and savanna mosaics across equatorial Africa.
Life span30 to 40 years in the wild, up to 60 years in captivity.
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderPrimates
- FamilyHominidae
- GenusPan
- SpeciesPan troglodytes
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskHigh
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is high
- Wild chimpanzees possess immense strength and can attack defensively; maintain a distance of at least ten meters.
- Why it is dangerous
- Extremely powerful muscles and sharp canine teeth can inflict catastrophic crushing and tearing injuries.
- How to recognize a risky encounter
- Coarse black fur body, hairless pale-to-dark face, prominent brow ridge, and vocal pant-hoot calls.
- What to do
- Never approach or attempt to feed wild individuals, and back away slowly if a community advances.
- What to notice
- Recognizable by dark coat, knuckle-walking movement, and high-pitched call choruses in the canopy.
- Support conservation
- Wear protective face masks during eco-tours and cancel visits immediately if experiencing viral symptoms.
Responsible observation
- Distance Management: Keep at least ten meters away to prevent pathogen spread and aggressive encounters.
- Behavioral Restraint: Avoid direct eye contact and sudden gestures that chimps interpret as threats.
Co-inhabitant Brocken Inaglory / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
Prey Charles J. Sharp / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative natataek / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative no rights reserved, uploaded by Abhas Misraraj · cc0
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