IUCN: Endangered

• Infant chimpanzees have a white tuft on their rump and pink-brown facial skin which darkens by adulthood.
• Chimps are omnivores and eat fruit, leaves, flowers, seeds, insects and small animal prey.
• Chimpanzees reach sexual maturity around 11-13 years of age. The average life span of a chimpanzee is 50 years.
• Chimpanzees are a ‘great ape’ along with gorillas, orang-utans, bonobos and humans.
• Adult chimpanzees are six times stronger than an average human.  
• Chimps can recognise themselves in a mirror and have the ability to learn sign language.
• They are one of the few mammals that manufacture and use "tools". They may use leaves to clean the body, twigs to gather insects and stones to crack hard seeds.
• Wellington Zoo has a troop of 13 chimpanzees. Studies on our chimps have shown they’re not interested in television or radio, the stimulation they get from interacting with other members of the troop is enough to keep them mentally stimulated.
• Chimps first came to Wellington Zoo from London Zoo in 1956, for the Zoo’s birthday party. These were young chimps who participated in Chimpanzee tea parties. These tea parties were very popular and s many as 2,000 Zoo visitors would attend a tea party.
• Our youngest chimp, Beni, was born at the Zoo in October 2007.