World Chimpanzee Day | Chimpanzees Characteristics | Habitat and Conservation
World Chimpanzee Day is celebrated annually on 14th July. This day aims to raise awareness about Chimpanzees conservation and the challenges they face in the wild. It also raises awareness to protect the chimpanzees habitat. It also highlights the importance of protecting these intelligent and endangered animals. They are also called Chimps. This article also highlights the Chimpanzees Characteristics.
History of World Chimpanzee Day
World Chimpanzee Day was first celebrated on July 14, 2018. On July 14, 1960, Dr. Jane Goodall’s arrived at Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania. She arrived to start her research on wild chimpanzee. In 2018, World Chimpanzee Day was first founded by a group of NGOs. These NGOs include the Jane Goodall Institute, the North American Primate Sanctuary Alliance, Liberia Chimpanzee Rescue & Protection, and Lincoln Park. However, this day increases awareness about the importance of chimpanzee conservation and the threats they face. These threats include habitat destruction, poaching, illegal pet trade, and disease.
Chimpanzees Characteristics
Chimpanzee or chimp belongs to the genus Pan troglodytes. The Genus Pan has only two species Chimpanzee and Bonobo. The chimpanzee is a species of great ape. Interestingly, the Chimpanzees characteristics are like human beings.
They have a coat of black hair. But, their faces are hairless except for a short white beard. Adult male Chimps have a height of 150 cm and weigh between 40 and 70 kg. Generally, female chimps are smaller than male.
They have long arms than legs that can reach below the knees. Chimps hands have long fingers with short thumbs and flat fingernails. Their arms are adapted for climbing and swinging in trees. Moreover, they have rounded head with prominent and prognathous face. Also, they have pronounced brow ridges. Chimps have a small nose, rounded non-lobed ears, and a long mobile upper lip. Additionally, they have sharp canine teeth.
Chimps are famous for their use of tools. They use sticks to extract termites from mounds. They use stones to crack open nuts. Primarily, they are omnivorous. They eat fruits, leaves, seeds, and insects. Sometimes, they hunt and eat small mammals, including other primates. Additionally, they are highly intelligent animals. They have the ability to solve many kinds of problems posed to them by humans.
Chimpanzees Habitat and Distribution
These animals have found in a variety of habitats. Chimpanzee habitat includes tropical rainforests, woodlands, and savannahs. They are primarily arboreal but also spend a significant amount of time on the ground. However, they are native to Africa and have found in 21 countries across central and West Africa.
Chimpanzees Conservation
Chimps population in wild has decreased since 1980. They are listed as endangered species on IUCN red list. The biggest threats to them include habitat destruction, poaching and disease. They are hunted for bush meat.
In 1960, Jane Goodall’s ground breaking research in Tanzania changed everything about these animals. She brought global attention to them. Also, she brought global attention to human impact on Chimpanzee habitat and population. Due to, Godall’s research and public voice, Chimpanzees conservation efforts continued to expand. In 1970, the endangered species Act had passed in US. After that, it became illegal to import wild-caught Chimpanzees. Similarly, IUCN and CITES also make it illegal to hunt or keep chimps as pet.
IUCN Red List and Endangered Species
However, the Jane Goodall Institute, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) are working on their conservation.
