Chimpanzees In The Wild: Pan Troglodytes

1) Introduction:

Chimpanzees are considered as human’s closest living representation, possessing numerous characteristics and similarities of our genetics. Scientifically named Pan Troglodytes, they are widely classified as great apes under the Hominidae family and are one of the species in the genus Pan. Chimpanzees are only found in one continent in the world, Africa. They are distributed throughout the central and western regions of Africa, specifically Tanzania and Uganda.

In a physical aspect, chimpanzees are generally much smaller in size. The chimpanzee, which is approximately four feet high, weighs differently depending on gender. Males usually weigh 90 to 120 pounds, while females weigh between 60 to 110 pounds (“Chimpanzee”).

They have many capabilities that were not thought possible. An example is the tool manufacturing used amongst the chimpanzee population. They simply use their resources to their advantage to obtain what they’d like.

One of the best examples of Chimpanzee intelligence is the way they fish for termites. First, they search for a twig or branch nearby. Then, they immediately pluck the leaves off the stick they’ve chosen. After the twig or branch is clean, the chimpanzees place it in the termite’s mound and simply wait. In a matter of seconds, they slowly bring the stick out. At this point, many termites are attached onto the stick for the chimpanzee to consume.

Another example of tool manufacturing is the use of leaves as a sponge. This involves a chimpanzee obtaining leaves and chewing them up. Now, the chewed up leaves can be dipped into water to basically allow the chimp to use the pile of chewed up leaves to absorb eight times as much water. This allows for the chimpanzee to be able to drink more water more

Many chimpanzees kept in laboratory housing settings show a variety of serious behavioral abnormalities, including repetitive rocking, drinking of urine, or self-mutilation (Birkett LP, Newton-Fisher). In nature,, chimpanzees have the freedom to roam around. Unfortunately, those in captivity have to adapt to these newly found changes in the environment. Most chimpanzees in captivity are not given the opportunity to experience what other wild chimpanzees do. For some, it can certainly be a struggle, especially if they were engaged in their previous habitat. Also, chimpanzees face the lack of their natural environment and animals to forage, which is contrary to the wild wherein foraging for food. Social interaction is extremely important, because it leads to the development of social skills. As a compromise, chimpanzees in captivity benefit from supplementary chances for manual activities, such as being occupied by rubber bands and cardboard. These stimulating activities are provided in hope to allow a similar environment like the chimpanzees in the wild. Lastly, isolation was a significant challenge that many chimpanzees in captivity had to cope with. They tended to be faced against walls and had no access to any other chimpanzees. With that, they tend to lack many of the basic skills that most chimpanzees would have. They are also not exposed to maternal behavior and tend to have