With massive forest areas being torn down, it is eliminating space for the chimpanzees and all the other creatures that inhabit the forest. There are a number of threats to these incredible creates, for chimpanzees in the wild, the biggest issue is poaching, habitat loss and disease. Between 170,000 and 300,000 individuals are estimated across the world. The chimpanzee is listed on the IUCN Red List as an endangered species. The funny thing with chimps is that even though they are a family, they don't spend all their time together, it's not uncommon for them to split up for short periods of time and then join up again. Studies have shown that they make their own tools from branches, grass, leaves and rocks to use in search of food and hunting, which if you think of it, is quite extraordinary.įamily groups can consist of anything between 10 and 40 individuals depending on area and area availability. We watched as one chimp modified a branch to use it to extract ants from a hole in the tree. What really fascinated me was watching them go about their daily business. The way they interact, the way they behave, their facial expressions are all VERY similar to us humans.
I often found myself just sitting and watching them. It's only really when you get out into the field and spend time with them that you truly understand the above fact. I personally find this fact unbelievable! We are very closely related to Chimpanzees and humans share roughly 98% of the same DNA. I have been fortunate enough to see these animals out in the wild and to describe what the experience is like, well its nothing short of mind blowing. Today is World Chimpanzee Day, a day we celebrate these amazing creatures.
Sabi Sabi and MalaMala Photographic Seminar.
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