We hear it so many times, people who want a sweet little baby chimp.
I have to admit, they are so cute when they are just a baby but maybe it is time for a reality check. If you are not an experienced animal trainer, you will not be able to handle a chimp once he gets older.
Did you know that an adult chimp is up to 10 times stronger then a human being? Before you even think about buying a chimp as an additional family member, just go to the zoo and check out their arm size. I have no doubt about the fact that you will try to do everything you can to teach your chimp what is right and wrong. After all, isn’t that what every parent tries to achieve with their kids? However, kids get injured all the time from fighting or fooling around. Can you imagine what a chimp can do to you when he is just fooling around? I mean, it’s not the first time that someone lost an arm or a leg or even his life when interacting with a chimp. Let’s face it, a chimp is one of the greatest and most intelligent creatures among us … but they can never be considered as pets.
Conclusion
Baby chimps are very cute but even at a very early age they can be very destructive. Many people buy a young chimp but have to get rid if it when they’re getting older because they can’t handle them any more. In the end, you lost some money but the chimps are the real victim!
Did you know…
Everybody knows that chimps are very intelligent animals. A chimp is able to understand what you say but they will never be able to speak like we do. Nevertheless there are several techniques to make communication possible. One of those techniques is the use of a sign board. Every sign is a word, and chimps can learn up to a few hundred words. They are even able to combine words and make small sentences!
Weight
The weight of a chimpanzee varies around 100lb (45kg) for males and 90lb (40kg) for females. At birth chimps weigh around 3.6lb (1.8kg).
Diet
In the wild, chimps eat mainly fruit, but they also eat leaves, insects, seeds, bark and small animals. They are able to use tools to retrieve their food.
In captivity, chimps are mainly fed on commercial primate diet supplemented with fresh fruit, fresh and cooked vegetables, cooked meat (like turkey or chicken), boiled eggs, milk, …
Lifespan
35-40 years
Breeding
Chimps become sexual active around 7 years. Their gestation period is around 230 days and they normally produce only one young every 3-4 years.
Births can occur at any time. Labor can last up to 8 hours.
The eyes are open at birth and newborns are unable to move until they are 3 months old. They are carried around by the female at all times. At the age of 6 months they start to stay away for short periods from their mother. At one year, they can climb and play with other members. At the age of 2 they can feed themselves. However, it takes up to 4 years before they become completely independent from their mother and at the age of 5 they will finally sleep apart.