Chimpanzee
Pan troglodytes verus
IUCN Red List StatusCritically Endangered
Pan troglodytes verus
Chimpanzees are highly intelligent and social apes, and considered our closest living relatives.
Each chimpanzee has unique physical features, including variations in skin colour, hair coverage, and facial structure, just like humans. They have opposable thumbs and toes, allowing them to grip tools effectively. Their long arms facilitate 'knuckle walking' and climbing, while their strength aids in navigating through the forest canopy.
Groups are led by an alpha male who maintains order, resolves conflicts, chooses feeding sites, and has priority in mating. Grooming is essential for bonding in chimp communities, much like handshakes or hugs in human interactions.
Chimpanzees are under huge threat from humans, destroying their habitats and hunting them for their meat. This is pushing chimps closer to extinction.
Illegal hunting for bushmeat kills more chimps each year than are born, causing wild populations to plummet. Consuming bushmeat can spread serious diseases like Ebola and HIV.
Chimp habitats have declined dramatically as humans are changing these habitats through farming, logging and mining. These changes can separate, or fragment, chimp population. Land-use changes separate chimp populations, making it difficult for them to connect, which reduces genetic diversity and weakens population resilience.
We're partnering with the Nigerian National Parks Service to protect and conserve chimpanzee habitats.
