Chimpanzee

Hello. I am a chimpanzee. My home is a big, green forest filled with very tall trees. I love it here. When I was a tiny baby, I would hold on tight to my mommy's fur. She was so warm and strong. She climbed high in the trees, and I would ride on her back, looking all around. I have a big family, and we are called a community. We engage in play and exhibit laughter-like vocalizations, especially during our juvenile years, but not continuously throughout the day. It is fun to be with my family in our forest home.

My day is always full of fun and looking for food. I walk through the forest and look for yummy things to eat. I love finding sweet fruits hanging from the branches. They are so juicy. I also munch on crunchy leaves. I am very clever because I use tools. If I want a special snack, I find a small stick. I poke the stick into a log where little termites live. Then I pull out the stick and eat the tasty termites. It is a yummy snack. I also communicate with my family using vocalizations like the 'pant-hoot,' which includes breathy 'hoo' sounds. It is how I say hello to them.

I have a super helper job in my forest home. It is a very important job. When I eat all the delicious fruit, I spit out the seeds. Sometimes the seeds come out when I poop on the forest floor. These seeds grow into new trees. This helps our home stay green and healthy for me and for all the other animals that live here. I am a forest gardener, and I love helping my home grow strong.