About Chimpanzees

Chimp Behaviour

When Dr. Goodall started her study of chimpanzees in 1960, very little was known about their behaviour in the wild. Since then, chimpanzees have offered insights not only into chimpanzee culture, but into our own as well.

Chimpanzee culture is much like human culture: groups in different areas share different cultures. Tool-use is a good example.

Chimpanzees in Gombe use long twigs and alter them for better termite fishing. In the Tai Forest in Cote d'Ivoire chimps are more often seen nut-cracking with rocks and flat surfaces.

But what kinds of behaviours do most sub-species and groups of chimpanzees share? Group structuring, communication, and hunting practices are often common from chimpanzee group to chimpanzee group, and even these aren't perfectly identical.

Learn more about chimpanzee behaviour.