Where Do Chimpanzees Live?

The chimpanzee is one of a species of “great” apes that belong to the Hominoidea superfamily of primates along with gorillas, orangutans, bonobos and humans.  Chimpanzees, as well as other great apes, can be distinguished from “lesser” apes by their larger body size, greater brain-to-body ratio, more intelligence and the fact that they are without tails. With the exception of human beings, chimpanzees are rated among the most intelligent non-human animals in existence. (The orangutan’s intelligence also ranks near the top because of its innovative nest building skills.)

Finding out where chimpanzees live has become more difficult to decipher with the passage of time, as humans continue to bear witness to (and in some instances are actually responsible for) the incessant dwindling of their natural habitat due to human destruction of environments where they once thrived and multiplied. 

Africa loses an astounding 10 million acres of forest every year.  Consequently, today, in the wild, it is estimated that a mere 172,000-300,000 chimpanzees still exist in all of Africa.  It was only ten years ago (around year 2000) that approximately one to two million chimpanzees roamed free in 25 African countries.   In addition to loss of habitat, some populations are further endangered by hunting for bushmeat.

Chimpanzee Habitat

The chimpanzee lives in varied habitats, stretching from western to eastern Africa north of the Congo (also known as the Zaire) River. Their habitats range from tropical rainforest to savannah to woodland to swamp forest.  Chimpanzees prefer to reside in places where they can satisfy their omnivorous appetites, with diets that consist of fruits, seeds, flowers, leaves and a few animals.  The aforementioned habitats are plentiful in these food sources.

While a chimpanzee’s existence is limited to fairly isolated or fragmented patches on the African continent, they live on an expansive land area which spans about 21 African countries (from Senegal on the continent’s west coast through the vast central nation of the Congo). 

Chimpanzee Species

The Congo River divides the native habitat of two species of chimpanzees – the common chimpanzee (of west and central Africa) and the bonobo (which lives in the forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo) so the answer to where do Chimpanzees live depends on the species. 

The Congo, formerly known as the Zaire River, is the second longest river on the African continent with a length of 2, 718 miles (second only to the Nile).  According to research, the chimpanzee genetically separated into these two species types at least 1.5 million years ago, following the formation of the Congo River itself. 

At first glance, it is difficult to visually differentiate between the common chimpanzee and the bonobo.  However, during observation of their social behavior, and also in studying their different diets, distinctions can easily be made. 

The Bonobos

The bonobos, whose habitat is in the central Republic of Congo south of the Congo River, live in a continuous range within a large forest zone. This area is made up of primarily rain forest.

Bonobos are generally known as fruit eaters and supplement  their diet with shoots, leaves, flowers, seed, bark, pith and herbs, as well as termites, ants and worms. They live in a society wherein all members of the troop are treated equally, and bonobos are also known to be nonviolent, highly sexual and matriarchal. 

These apes, as well as many of the other species of ape, engage in extensive travel during daylight and evening hours, and since they sleep in self-made nests, they must built a new nest each night.  The bonobos tree-laden habitat facilitates nest building in the safety of tree crowns and tall shrubs of the forest. 

Common Chimpanzees

Common chimpanzees are found in the tropical forests and wet savannahs of Western and Central Africa.  They are highly territorial and groups of male chimps patrol territorial borders, attacking any foreign chimpanzee that trespasses. This behavior is maintained by a social structure that is based on an alpha male leading a troop of beta males. 

Known as omnivorous creatures, the common chimpanzee’s diet is mainly vegetarian, along with the regular consumption of termites in some populations.  Common chimpanzees live in communities that range from twenty to more than 150 members.  However, they spend most of their time traveling through the forests and savannahs of Central and Western Africa in small groups of just a few individuals. As both arboreal and terrestrial, the common chimpanzee spends an equal amount of time in trees and on the ground.