Twelve chimpanzee facts, fact-checked
Chimpanzees and bonobos are our closest living relatives. Full profile in our chimpanzee guide.
1. About 98.7% shared DNA
Along with bonobos, chimps are the closest living relatives of humans.
2. They make tools, not just use them
Stripping leaves from a stem to fish termites is manufacture, not opportunism.
3. Tool traditions are regional
Different communities use different toolkits and pass them on socially — evidence of culture in a non-human animal.
4. They crack nuts with hammer and anvil
Some West African communities select stones and use a root as an anvil. Young chimps take years to master it.
5. They self-medicate
Swallowing rough leaves whole to expel parasites, and chewing bitter pith with antiparasitic compounds.
6. Communities wage war
Coordinated lethal raids between neighbouring communities are documented over decades of observation.
7. They hunt cooperatively
Groups pursue colobus monkeys with apparent role division, then share the meat according to social ties.
8. Fission-fusion society
Large communities split into changing subgroups through the day, requiring individuals to track many relationships.
9. They recognise themselves in mirrors
One of the few species to pass the mirror self-recognition test.
10. Some have exceptional working memory
In numerical recall tasks, young chimps have outperformed adult humans.
11. They are Endangered
Habitat loss, bushmeat hunting, disease and the live infant trade drive the decline.
12. Infant trade means dead adults
Taking one live infant for the pet or entertainment trade typically means killing several adults defending it.
Read the full chimpanzee wildlife guide for IUCN status, population context and sources — or donate to WARN to help fund the partner teams protecting wildlife on the ground.
