Chimpanzees stayed in an ‘invisible cage’ after zoo enclosure was enlarged – South African study: Captive chimpanzees are one of the most popular species kept in zoos because of their charismatic appeal and similarity to humans. They are the closest living relatives of humans because of the shared genes and behavioural and psychological similarities. Zoos …
Chimpanzees are not pets, no matter what social media tells you: Miriam, a rescued chimpanzee brought to the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage in 2018. Jake Brooker, CC BY-NC-ND Trading wild chimpanzees, including their meat and body parts, is illegal. And yet, social media influencers and companies still reap profits from sharing “cute” images and videos of …
Why humans walk on two legs: a close look at chimpanzees puts some old theories to the test: Issa chimpanzees live in a woodland dominated environment interspersed with riparian forests, grasslands, and rocky out-crops. Photo: R. Drummond-Clarke/GMERC There’s no trait that distinguishes humans from all other mammals more clearly than the way we walk. Human …
Wild chimpanzees and gorillas can form long friendly associations that last decades – new research: Chimpanzees are highly social but recent research suggests they can be with gorillas too. apple2499/Shutterstock To survive, animals compete for resources, be it food, mating partners or territory. But a ground breaking recent study shows chimpanzees and gorillas form friendships, …
Chimpanzees rub insects on open wounds – new research suggests treating others may not be uniquely human: The chimpanzees of the Rekambo community in Gabon, West Africa never fail to surprise. For a start, they are known to kill and eat tortoises, which set them apart from any other community of chimpanzees. Now they have been …
To save wild chimpanzees, imagine their habitat is an electrical circuit: Marcel Derweduwen/Shutterstock The chimpanzee is our closest living relative, and it could be facing extinction. There were one million chimpanzees in 1900, but today, 300,000 at most are thought to remain in the wild. Prime African rainforest habitat is being broken up by loggers …
Chimpanzees in volatile habitats evolved to behave more flexibly – it could help them weather climate change: CherylRamalho/Shutterstock One of the reasons humans are so resilient is our ability to mould our behaviour to ever changing situations. It wasn’t so long ago that many of us hugged when we met. In the middle of a …
Chimpanzees once helped African rainforests recover from a major collapse: Most people probably think that the rainforest of central and west Africa, the second largest in the world, has been around for millions of years. However recent research suggests that it is mostly just 2,000 or so years old. The forest reached roughly its modern …
Action is needed to save West Africa’s critically endangered chimpanzees: Camera trap image of adult female chimpanzee with her offspring in fallow area in Moyamba district of Sierra Leone foraging on oranges. Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary In 2016, the International Union for Conservation of Nature listed the western African subspecies of chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) as …
Human viruses threaten the future of Uganda’s chimpanzees: Humans can easily transmit viruses to chimpanzees and other primates. Robin Nieuwenkamp/Shutterstock Respiratory viruses of human origin infect wild apes across Africa, sometimes lethally. In Uganda, outbreaks of viruses of human origin have been discovered in two different chimpanzee groups. Moina Spooner from The Conversation Africa spoke …
Chimpanzees eat plants that point to new ways of treating diseases: The medicinal plants eaten by chimpanzees could develop improved traditional medicines. Reuters/James Akena As cancer and other non-infectious diseases continue to rise all over the world it’s become harder for scientists to find safe, effective treatments. In addition, bacteria are becoming more and more …
Chimpanzees hunting for honey are cleverer than we thought: Chimpanzees performed a specific technique with a stick to extract underground bees nests. Shutterstock Chimpanzees are the closest living relatives to humans. Because of this they can offer invaluable insights into understanding the evolutionary roots of how humans developed their cognitive and technological abilities. Years of …