How closely related are chimpanzees to humans?

Chimpanzees share almost 99% of their DNA sequence with humans, making them one of our closest living relatives, though they have 24 pairs of chromosomes versus the human 23.

Do chimpanzees use tools?

Yes. Chimpanzees use tools such as stripped twigs to fish for termites and stones to crack nuts, and evidence shows this behavior dates back at least 4,300 years.

Why are chimpanzees endangered?

Habitat loss and fragmentation from logging and agriculture, poaching for bushmeat, and disease transmission from humans have all contributed to population declines, leading the IUCN to classify the species as Endangered.

Chimpanzeeチンパンジー

Pan troglodytesEN— Endangered

The chimpanzee is a highly intelligent great ape native to the forests and savannas of equatorial Africa, sharing nearly 99% of its DNA with humans. It lives in complex, tool-using social groups, feeding mainly on fruit supplemented with leaves, insects, and occasionally hunted meat. Habitat loss, poaching, and disease have driven steep population declines across its range, and the IUCN classifies the species as Endangered.

Chimpanzee (reference photo) — Photo: Giles Laurent / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Source / cropped

Species Data

Classification: Primates / Hominidae Source
Size: Males about 85 cm, females about 77.5 cm
Weight: Males about 40–60 kg, females about 32–47 kg (one large captive individual reached 136 kg)
Lifespan: Wild: average about 13–33 years (varies greatly between communities, with some exceeding 60); in captivity, the average in Japan is 28.3 years, individuals surviving to maturity reach about 40, and one overseas record reached 66 years
Diet: Omnivore Omnivorous, feeding mainly on fruit as well as seeds, flowers, leaves, bark, honey, insects, and small to medium mammals such as bushpigs, monkeys, and duikers
Activity: Diurnal; spends the day feeding and traveling and sleeps at night in nests built in the trees
Distribution: The chimpanzee is native to equatorial Africa's forests and savannas, ranging across roughly 18 West, Central, and East African countries; it is believed extinct in Togo, Burkina Faso, and Benin. Source
Sources: ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

Did You Know?

Chimpanzees share almost 99% of their DNA sequence with humans, yet they have 24 pairs of chromosomes compared to the human 23. Source
Evidence shows chimpanzees have used stone tools for at least 4,300 years, among the longest documented tool-use traditions of any nonhuman animal. Source
A chimpanzee named Ayumu became famous for a memory test in which he could correctly and quickly point to the positions of briefly flashed numbers in ascending order, outperforming human adults. Source

Where to See This Species

Operating facilities registered on this site: Japan 26

Chimpanzeeチンパンジー

Species Data

Did You Know?

Where to See This Species

Adventure WorldWakayamaOpened in 1978

Ishikawa DoubutsuenIshikawaAbout 60 minutes from the Kanazawa-Morimoto Interchange on the Hokuriku Expressway, about 40 minutes from the Kanazawa-Nishi Interchange, and about 20 minutes from the Komatsu Interchange.

Izu Shaboten ZooShizuokaOpened in 1959

Utsunomiya DoubutsuenTochigiAbout 5 minutes from the Utsunomiya IC on the Tohoku Expressway; free parking for 1,000 cars.

Yokohama Shiritsu Yokohama DoubutsuenKanagawaOpened in 1999

Yokohama Shiritsu Nogeyama DoubutsuenKanagawaOpened in 1951

Iwate SafariParkIwateAbout 45 minutes from the Ichinoseki IC, about 30 minutes from the Wakayanagi-Kannari IC, or about 25 minutes via National Route 284.

Miyazakishifenikkusushizen DoubutsuenMiyazakiBuses bound for Phoenix Shizen Dobutsuen run from Miyako City or Miyazaki Station (check the Miyazaki Kotsu website for detailed timetables).

Kyoto City ZooKyotoOpened in 1903

Kumamotoshi DoushokubutsuenKumamotoTake the tram bound for Kengun and get off at the Doshokubutsuen-Iriguchi stop, then walk 10 minutes.

Hiroshima City Asa Zoological ParkHiroshimaFrom JR Hiroshima Station, take the Sanyo Main Line or Kabe Line to Shin-Hakushima Station, transfer to the Astram Line to Kamiyasu Station, then take a bus to "Asa Dobutsu Koen" (about 45 minutes in total).

Noichi Zoological Park of Kochi PrefectureKochiA 20-minute walk or 13-minute rental-bicycle ride from Noichi Station on the Tosa Kuroshio Railway Gomen-Nahari Line.

Sapporoshimaruyama DoubutsuenHokkaidoOpened in 1951

Hirakawa ZooKagoshimaAbout a 20-minute walk from Goino Station on the JR Ibusuki-Makurazaki Line, or take a bus bound for Taniyama / Dobutsuen from Fukuhira Nokyo-mae to the last stop.

Akitashioomoriyama DoubutsuenAkitaFrom bus stop 7 at the west exit of the JR Akita Station bus terminal, take the Akita Chuo Kotsu "Araya Line" bus for about 30 minutes.

OJI ZOOHyogo3 minutes on foot west from Oji-Koen Station on the Hankyu line.

Sendaishiyagiyama Doubutsu KouenMiyagiTake the Sendai Subway Tozai Line to Yagiyama Zoological Park Station; the zoo is right by the elevator from Central Exit 1 (about 12 minutes from Sendai Station).

Chiba Zoological ParkChibaOpened in 1985

Naganoshichausuyama DoubutsuenNaganoThe nearest station is JR Shinonoi Station.

Tennoji ZooOsakaOpened in 1915

Ueno ZooTokyoOpened in 1882

Hitachishikamine DoubutsuenIbarakiAbout 5 minutes from the Hitachi-Chuo Interchange on the Joban Expressway via National Route 6.

Himeji Shiritsu DoubutsuenHyogoOpened in 1951

Hamamatsu Zoological GardensShizuokaOpened in 1950

Fukuoka Zoo & Botanical GardenFukuokaOpened in 1953

Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical GardensAichiOpened in 1937

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