By Obiabin Onukwugha
The Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), also known as chimp, is a species of great ape native to the forest and savannah of tropical Africa. According to scientists, it has four confirmed subspecies and a fifth proposed one.
It is covered in coarse black hair, but has a bare face, fingers, toes, palms of the hands, and soles of the feet. Studies say Chimpanzees weigh between 40–70 kg (88–154 lb) for males and 27–50 kg (60–110 lb) for females, and stands at a height of 150cm (4 ft 11 in).
Chimpazee, called “Biri’ in Hausa, “Osa” or “Elegbede” in Yoruba, and “Adaka”, in Igbo languages, is the closest animal relative of humans, sharing 98% of human genes.
Chimpanzees live in parts of Africa, mostly in rainforests, but some make their homes in grasslands and woodlands.
Chimpanzees spend most of their time in trees, eating and playing during the day and sleeping in nests of leaves at night. They use their long arms to swing from branch to branch. On the ground, they normally walk on all fours, during movement. But they also can stand and walk upright.
Chimpanzees eat a variety of foods including fruit, eggs, insects, seeds and other plant parts. Some even hunt and eat meat. They are very clever animals, able to use simple tools, such as sticks and stones, to find termites and smash open nuts.
Chimpanzees are social animals as such live in groups of about 15 to 120. They communicate through sounds, facial expressions, and gestures. Some chimpanzees have been able to learn human sign language, when domesticated.
Chimpanzees can live up to 60 years. During reproduction, a female may be mated by all the males in a troop, regardless of their social standing, who show no sign of competition between themselves.
Female chimpanzee pregnancy lasts about 7½ months after mating. At birth the young chimpanzees ride on their mothers’ back until they are about two years old. They also stay with their mothers for up to 10 years.
Chimpanzees play a vital role in maintaining the diversity of Central Africa’s forests. The large seeds they eat and disperse later germinate and grow, thus contributing to afforestation and healthy environment.
How the chimpanzee’s bottom got swollen and red
According to a traditional West African folktale, the tortoise and chimpanzee were having a discussion when the chimpanzee began to boast about how he would become king of all the animals. He said, of all the animals, I am most like man so I should be king. Tortoise replied, you cannot be king for Lion is king and is very powerful. But the chimpanzee replied and said, yet, man has power over Lion and I am most like man.
It was said that the tortoise felt threatened by this claim, not knowing what might happen if the chimpanzee decided to start acting like Man.
Tortoise is not powerful, but what he lacks in strength, he made up in wit and he knows and understands every animal’s behavior so that he could outwit them all. But if the monkey was going to start acting in unpredictable ways, he did not want any of that so tortoise decided to act quickly to put the chimpanzee back in his place.
With this, tortoise went home to prepare some akara into which he added some fresh honey. When he was done, he put the akara in a basket and took it to King Lion’s house where he placed it just outside his door and left to hide behind a tree. The akara was warm and its aroma hung in the air so that Lion soon came out to see where it was coming from. He picked one ball of akara and ate it and this akara was sweeter than any akara he had ever eaten before. He ate another one, and then another one until all the akara was gone.
Lion had a huge appetite and this was the best akara he had ever had, so he wanted some more. Who brought these akara? he roared but there was no answer. He searched the surrounding area and soon found tortoise.
He grabbed tortoise by the neck and asked him how did these akara get here?Tortoise quivered and shook and frighteningly said I promised not to tell. But Lion insisted he tells him or else he will die, so tortoise told the Lion that it came from chimpanzee but that it is a secret. He told Lion that what he ate was not akara at all but Chimpanzee’s feces which he keeps a secret.
King Lion immediately headed to chimpanzee’s house. When he saw chimpanzee, he told him; give me sweet feces. Chimpanzee was confused and gave Lion a blank stare. Lion roared at him again, I said give me sweet feces! Chimpanzee was terrified and defecated on the spot. It was not sweet and Lion was mad. He started to beat chimpanzee while ordering him to make sweet feces until chimpanzee’s bottom was all swollen and red.
Since then, chimpanzee has shelved his ambition to become king of all the animals.