Meet Chimpanzees in the Wild

Fascinating Characteristics

"Look behind you," says one of our group as we follow the trail back. Turning around, we can see a chimp peeping cautiously from behind a tree trunk. He stands on two legs and is about four feet tall. When we look at him, his head   goes back behind the tree, only to peer out again after a few moments.  What charming curiosity!  Yes, chimps can stand on two legs and can even walk that way for short distances. However, they normally use all four limbs to support their weight.  The spine of a chimp does not have the curve at the lower back that helps them make upright posture possible in humans. Also, the relatively weak rump muscles, together with arms that are considerably longer and stronger than the legs, make walking on all fours or climbing and swinging in trees more in harmony with how the chimpanzee is built.

When the chimps have to reach out for fruit growing on thin branches that would not support their weight, their long arms are especially useful.  Their hands and feet are perfectly shaped for powerfully grasping and holding on to branches. The big toes point sideways and work like thumbs to help the animal climb trees or even grasp and carry objects almost as easily with the feet as with the hands. This ability is helpful hen it is time for making a nest in the evening. After a few minutes of bending and turning  over leaves and branches, the chimp has a soft comfortable place for the night. 

Watching and studying chimpanzees in the wild, with their many fascinating characteristics and obvious similarities  with humans in anatomy and behavior, is certainly intriguing.   Some people, however, are interested in the chimpanzee solely for experimental reasons in support of a suggested evolutionary relationship with man. Hence, questions like these may arise. What really makes humans and chimpanzees so different? In what way is man, in contrast with animals, made "in  God's image"? -Genesis 1:27. 

Next time: Meet Chimpanzees in the Wild -An Unforgettable Experience

From the AWAKE!  magazine, 2010