Chimpanzees
Second Most Intelligent Mammal
People are the most intelligent mammals. Many scientists now
believe that the second most intelligent mammals are those cute,
lovable chimpanzees. You have probably observed their antics at
a zoo, circus, or in a performance. They learn tricks more quickly
and easily than any other animal (except you). They don't have to
perform tricks to entertain us. People enjoy watching the chimps'
general behaviour and changing facial expressions. We all agree
that chimps resemble humans more closely than any other creature
does, but you should not insult anyone by comparing them to a
chimp or monkey. Remember, humans are more intelligent and
deserve more respect.
Many chimpanzees have been used in medical lab experiments
because the chimp's body is so similar in many ways to a human
body. The adult height ranges from1 to 1.6 metres, and the weight
from 40 to 77 kilograms. The males are closer to the top of that
range while females are in the lower part. Chimps have dark brown or black hair over most of their body, but both males and females commonly get bald on top with age. Like the other apes (gibbons, gorillas, and orang-utans), they have no tail. The chimp's hands and feet are much like yours, except their big toes turn out to help them grasp limbs to climb better. Their eyes, ears, nose, and other sense organs work much the same as yours. They often walk using the knuckles on the back of their hands to support their upper body weight. However, they can walk and run just like we do when they are carrying things or get excited and want to see further. Their ability to change facial expressions to show feelings resembles humans, too. They are the only other animals that can recognize themselves and make faces in a mirror. The chimps are susceptible to many of the same diseases we are, so scientists often test new medicines on them to find a remedy or cure for us. Many people object to using these lovable chimps to do medical experiments, but others believe it is essential to do this.
Chimpanzees roam the African forests in groups called troops and spend more than half of their time in trees. The troop has several females with their young, and a few males with a dominant male leader. They roam the tropical forest searching for food like fruit, leaves, seeds, honey, insects, and eggs. Scientists discovered the chimps also hunt for small mammals to eat. They eat two main meals: breakfast and dinner. The supply of food in the area may determine whether they sleep in the same nest several nights or move on to build new ones. Nests are built a minimum of 4.5 metres off the ground using twigs, leaves, and branches.
The communication skills of chimpanzees have also been studied a great deal. They talk in grunts, barks, and other sounds that many people love to imitate. Chimps also communicate with the look on their face or by making gestures with their hands. They embrace and touch each other when they meet. They also spend about an hour a day in a social activity called grooming, where they pick dirt, bugs, and burrs out of each other's hair. They appear to take care of others, knowing that they will also be cared for. They don't seem to fight within the troop, so they must understand each other very well. Scientists haven't been able to teach captive chimps to speak our words, but several have learned sign language for the deaf and can use it very well.
Female chimps usually have their first baby when they are about eleven or twelve years old. Their gestation lasts for seven or eight months, and they usually only have a single baby at a time, although twins are born occasionally. The female has sole responsibility
for raising the infant, which she will seldom allow out of her arms. The
baby will ride in a cradled position as the mother travels until it is about
five months old; then will ride piggyback for several more months. It will
then get to scamper about in the trees with other young chimps but
will remain with its mother until it is about six.
Large numbers of chimps have been trapped to be sold to zoos, circuses,
pet stores, and laboratories. Chimps bred in captivity have reduced the
need to trap wild ones. Many educational experiments have been done
with young chimps in captivity. You already read about chimps taught to
speak with sign language, but did you know some have been taught to
communicate with special computers? Their problem solving ability is second only to yours. They can imitate our behaviour so perfectly sometimes that it's astounding.
