Anyone that knows me knows I have two loves, history and apes. When I'm not reading The Odyssey...I'm doing something else, sometimes that something else is studying ape behavior. Here's a few things about them:

Chimpanzees:
There's two major types of chimps, chimpanzees and pygmy chimps(bonobos). Pygmy chimps are more developed and more intellegent than their cousins, chimpanzees.

Chimps are able to learn sign language, just like the others,but unlike the others a chimp named Viki learned 4 actual words, you know the kind that come out of your mouth? You know the ones.

Chimps have been known to use tools, to fish for termites, etc. Usually they're pretty docile, they tend to be more aggressive than the other apes. They rarely attack though, usually when they do it's just to show off and seem dominant, an ego trip if you will. Chimps, just like humans, have been known to fight wars with one another and with baboons(I don't mean people wage wars with baboons).


 



Chimps are able to recognize themselves, whether in a photograph or in their reflection, not many animals can do that actually.

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Orangutans:
Two species of these redheads as well, Sumatran and Bornean. The Sumatran Orangutan usually goes it alone in life, while the Bornean live in packs.

Intellegent creatures, capable of tool use all the same. An orangutan was even coought using a spear to fish with.


 

Of all the species of ape, these probably look most like people, and were actually mistaken by the natives as being humans. It's the reason why Europeaners thought they were fake for so long, they thought it was just local superstition.


 

They're the largest tree dwelling animals on the earth. They most often eat fruit, and when they can small animals. They also have a lifespan of around 60 years in captivity. Some even have skin flaps on their faces, which looks kind of weird to us, but is a sign of dominance.

Gorillas:
The gentle giant of the forest, probably the gentlest of the three, though most people are under the impression they're savage beasts, the truth couldn't be more opposite. There are several different speciase of gorilla, including mountain and lowland.


 

As far as intellegence goes, they're not idiots. Koko the Gorilla has an IQ of 95, which is higher than the average for most nations of the world. Gorillas have been known to be able to read, identify themselves, and work computers(not as good as humans of course) and do math. The same can be said for all apes, but since the gorilla is looked at as the most ignorant, I'm going to use it for this one.

Gorillas are herbivorus, they don't eat meat. They've been known to use their food as napkins and such as well.


 

Gorillas are poached for their meat and fur on a daily basis, and because of this they're going extinct.