Famous Chimpanzees

Chimpanzees, sometimes called chimps for short, are common ape species from the genus Pan, originating from the forests around the Congo River. The mighty river also creates the boundary that sets apart the two species of chimpanzee, Pan paniscus or the Bonobo, which inhabits the forests on the eastern side of the Congo, and Pan troglodytes or the Common chimpanzee, which inhabits the forests on the western side, stretching out to Central Africa.

Today, many chimps have gone out of the wild and into the limelight, becoming famous as actors and pets.

Many movies have shown chimps as one of the main actors. In 1987, ProjectX (not to be confused with the crazy party flick), showed how humans tried to teach chimpanzees how to use sign language as a means of communication. The movie also showed many unethical practices used by animal research laboratories and testing centers.

Another famous chimp would be Michel Jackson’s pet chimpanzee, Bubbles. He was known to walk around Neverland Ranch, entertaining guests and accompanying Michael around. He was also very pampered by his master. Many animal rights activists saw Bubbles as a victim of animal abuse, protesting for the chimp to be taken out of the ranch and kept in a more suitable environment.

Another famous chimp that many saw on TV worldwide would be Sam. Sam is the chimpanzee who plays Bear, the chimp in the popular TV series BJ &The Bear. Sam actually became very close to his human co-star, Greg Evigan, and would even protect him during fight scenes.

Since they are very much like us, many experiments have been done on chimps to trace down our evolutionary roots. A common chimp basically has the mind of a 5 year old child, very curious and playful. Domesticated chimps interact with humans very well, but in the wild, they can get very aggressive.

 Chimpanzees Video

 

Chimpanzees

Chimpanzees remain to be one of the most popular types of monkeys, often kept as pets and as celebrities in fairgrounds because of their highly adaptable natures. Often classified with the great apes Bonobo, Orangutan and Gorilla, an animated feature released in 2006, Curious George, told the tale of how a chimpanzee owner took care of his ape, a creature that is described to be highly intelligent and highly inquisitive.

The animated feature did well in describing chimpanzees, whose presence remains to be fascinating for people, regardless if they are kept in zoos or encountered in the wild.

Chimpanzees are often found in Africa, and can also be found in areas in Sudan, Tanzania, Angola and in Senegal. The Democratic Republic of Congo is slated to have the largest population of chimpanzees in the world, but their extinct status is also said to be in certain parts in the area.

Chimpanzees can grow as tall as up to 5 feet, with some weighing as much as 200 pounds. With long arms, the legs of a chimpanzee aren’t as long, and unlike certain primates, they do not have tails.

Chimpanzees are the most sociable of all the apes, an innate nature which has made them ideal apes when kept in captivity. In the wild, they are known to live in communities, with member numbers somewhere between 15 to 120 chimpanzees. In mixed chimpanzee communities, males rarely leave, leaving that role to females who are known to often migrate to other communities.

In the wild, a chimpanzee can live somewhere between 40 to 50 years, while chimpanzees kept in captivity are known to live between 50 to 60 years old. Since they are naturally tropical creatures, chimpanzees in the wild spend a lot of time in trees, and only come down when necessary.

Active during the day, they are incredibly sociable and adaptable with humans, but their care and upkeep isn’t exactly as “easy” as how keeping a cat or dog in the house is.

All in all, chimpanzees stand out as apes, well loved by people who are still fascinated by them time in and time out.

Chimpanzee Video