Pan troglodytes

Chimpanzees live in fission–fusion societies where group composition changes frequently; small parties forage and associate within a larger community. They are diurnal omnivores — feeding on fruit, leaves, insects and vertebrate prey — and they hunt cooperatively in many populations. Communication is multimodal (calls, hoots, pant-grunts, facial expressions, gestures) and social life features dominance hierarchies, alliance formation, grooming networks, play, and cultural transmission of skills (tool use, hunting techniques).

Females have cyclical estrous periods and typically mate with multiple males; dominance and social bonds influence mating access. Gestation lasts about 230–240 days (≈7.5–8 months); females usually give birth to a single infant. Interbirth intervals in the wild are long (commonly ~4–6 years) because of extended lactation and juvenile dependence; infants nurse for several years and learn essential skills from their mothers and social group.

Chimpanzees show pronounced cognitive abilities (problem solving, tool manufacture/use, social learning) and strong manual dexterity with opposable thumbs. Sexual dimorphism is moderate (males larger); adults have coarse dark hair with pale faces that reveal expressions. Lifespan in the wild is typically 30–40+ years (longer under human care), and they possess complex social cognition including empathy, deception, cooperation, and rudimentary planning.

The Pan lineage diverged from the human lineage several million years ago; chimpanzees have occupied African forests and savanna–woodland mosaics for millennia. They figure in local cultures and histories and have long been studied by primatologists (e.g., Jane Goodall) for insights into social behavior, tool use, and human evolution. Human expansion, colonial hunting, and later large-scale habitat conversion and commercial bushmeat hunting have driven long-term declines.

Pan troglodytes is listed as Endangered: major threats include habitat loss and fragmentation, hunting for bushmeat, capture for the illegal wildlife trade, and infectious diseases (e.g., Ebola, respiratory pathogens). Conservation actions focus on protected-area management, anti-poaching enforcement, community-based conservation, disease surveillance, habitat corridors, and sanctuaries/reintroduction programs — but sustained political will and local support are essential for long-term recovery.