BUSHCH GARDENS, TAMPA FLORIDA:

"Just Chimping Around" came about after a day at Busch Gardens watching these almost human close cousins of ours living their lives in a well designed habitat.  There is something about Chimpanzee's,  that draws my attention.  Maybe it's because I see CHIMPS (the common name for the two species of Chimpanzees) doing things that look human and sometimes I see things that humans do that makes them look like Chimps.

The Family:
Chimps belong to the genus PAN and the common Chimp is called a PAN TROGLODYTE. Now you know what that means when you call your best friend a knuckle dragging Troglodyte!  All these years you thought it was a creature from a fairy tale. They come from West and Central Africa. 

The second species or BONOBO (Pan paniscus) also known as the "Pygmy Chimpanzee", is found in the forests of the "democratic" Republic of the CONGO.  Humans acting like Chimps are from the species Pan Imbicilytes.

"WEDDINGS SO EASY A CHIMP COULD DO ONE!"

Real Chimps have black hair and pinkish to black bare skin on their faces (except for hairs on the chin), ears, palms of their hands, and soles of their feet. 

Infants have very pale skin in these areas and a white tail tuft, which disappear by early adulthood.

Chimpanzees walk on all fours, or "quadrupedally," on the ground and in the trees. They use their knuckles for support while walking on all fours, and are called "knuckle-walkers." 

This form of locomotion gives chimpanzees longer arms than legs.  This is another expression commonly used to describe monkey type actions when performed by humans one notch down on the mental food chain. 

The chimpanzees can use these long arms to reach out to fruits growing on thin branches that would not usually support their weight and "brachiate" (swing from branch to branch by their arms). Humans trying to duplicate this maneuver usually wind up in a class one trauma center. 

Chimps have opposable thumbs, although these are much shorter than human thumbs, and their opposable big toes enable a precision grip. Chimpanzee males are slightly larger and heavier than females. At Gombe, adult males weigh between 90 and 115 pounds and measure about 4 feet high when standing upright. 

"ROMAINE, ROMAINE, I'M SICK OF ROMAINE, GIVES ME THE RUNS!"

Females are slightly smaller. Chimpanzees in West Africa, and in captivity, may be larger. Chimpanzees in the wild seldom live longer than 50 years. Some captive individuals have lived more than 60 years.

Chimpanzees are members of the HOMINIDAE family, along with GORILLAS, HUMANS and ORANGUTANS.

Chimpanzee are thought to have split from human evolution about 6 million years ago and thus the two chimpanzee species are the closest living relatives to humans; all being members of the Hominini tribe (along with extinct species of HOMININIA sub tribe). 

Chimpanzees are the only known members of the Panina subtribe. The two Pan species split only about one million years ago. Around 94% of human and chimpanzee DNA sequences are similar, some scientists go higher. 

Some bartenders have claimed 100% similarity between their customers and Chimps. 

Females can reproduce at any time of year. The usual birth being a single infant. The bond is very strong and usually is found clinging to it's mother for transportation and foraging, typically later rides on her back until the age of two. 

Females attain maturity at 12-13, though males do not till they reach 15-16 years of age.

"LOOK SON, THEY COULD BE HUMANS, THEY HAVE THUMBS LIKE US"

Tragedy:

Travis was a 200-lb. male chimp owned by Sandra Herold, 70, and was raised from a baby in a totally human environment for 14 years with reports of Travis even sleeping in the same room with his owner. We won't go there.  He had appeared in commercials on TV and guest appearances, could bathe by himself and dressed quite well, even  fashionably, and could use a computer to surf the web while enjoying a glass of wine. (I didn't make this up)

                "I LOVE YOU MOMMY"

A close friend Charla Nash, 55, came to visit Sandra and was viciously attacked by the 200 lb Chimp who probably has the strength of six men.  Chimps are smart fighters, they attack hands and feet to disable an opponent and then he went for her face and it was literally ripped off, miraculously she survived with  horrific consequence. 

Charla Nash is being treated at the Cleveland Clinic.  A family member disclosed that Charla has had multiple surgeries, including reconstruction of her cheekbone, eye socket, and nose. 

She will not regain her eyesight. There have been some complications, infection that has to be addressed.  Charla’s speech is improving but is still distorted at times. Charla Nash, appeared on "Oprah" Wednesday, the 18th of November to reveal her face and share heartbreaking details on her life since the attack. There is a website devoted to her recovery. Just Google her name and update. 

When the police arrived, they were attacked also and the chimp was shot dead by a police officer. There is some suspicion that Lyme disease may combined with XANAX might have triggered Travis's attack. 

Chimpanzees are not the diaper wearing infantile like creatures as seen on TV:
They are territorial, and actually will plan set ambushes and kill other chimps from other groups or tribes. They form coalitions and eat the young and adults of smaller species of monkeys. They are omnivores eating both meat and vegetables. The use tools both to gather food with and to use as weapons. They learn these skills and pass them on to others.  It is rumored they passed them on to humans, the tools, killing and ambush part.

MUST READ: There is a startling National Geographic Article about the Senegal Fongoli Chimps that will amaze you.  The story starts: "On the savannas of Senegal, chimpanzees are hunting bush babies with spearlike sticks. This hothouse of chimp "technology" offers clues to our own evolution".   (CLICK HERE - FONGOLI)

AIDS and other Diseases:
It has been discovered that chimpanzees in the wild can become sick and die from the Simian version of AIDS.  The finding disputes the belief that chimpanzees, can get the virus but were immune.  

FRED: Hey AL, you think I'm stupid, I know you photo-shopped the green grass at the bottom of the picture!

It also suggests that an outbreak of AIDS is contributing to the declining chimpanzee population in Africa. Monkeys and in some cases chimps were/are hunted for food in Africa and that was the original theory of the beginning of AIDS from monkey meat. 

As reported by another source they can pass along infections like yellow fever, monkey pox and the Marburg virus to their human keepers.  In congress there is a bill pending called the Captive Primate Safety Act. So far it has not succeeded. It sometimes amazes me how things as clear cut and as smart as the banning of exotic species has trouble making it through Congress.  Primates have a simple life and sometimes the law of the jungle makes more sense than the laws written by some of those we sent to Congress. 

ERRATA:

Research Data FROM Wikipedia, and Jane Goodall's Site, New York Times, American Journal of Nursing, The National Geographic referenced article.  Photos from the "Bizarre Collection"  by Al Jacobson

AUTHOR and PHOTOGRAPHER: Al Jacobson, photographs and writes in the Tampa Bay area on a myriad of subjects. He is from NY and occasionally speaks English, preferring Brooklyn based meta-phonetic syllabication (aka Street English).  

His high school English teacher, once commented to his parents, "He should try learning a foreign language like English... in a foreign country".  He retorted, "Shakespeare doth not a genius make, for he spake in terms reminiscent of a flake".  She threw him out of the class.