Zoos spend millions keeping them penned. Even the nicest people love to watch them kept behind concrete, iron bars or bullet proof glasses. Chimpanzees are just like our babies and can do much more than a cat and a dog. They are smart and share 98.5% of the human genes. They need full time attention. You may have to carry the chimp around all the time. The idea of a babysitter will be very unsuccessful. They also throw temper tantrums just like a regular child. However the only difference is that they grow up to be seven times more strong than the human. They may bite and cause serious injury.
People have been keeping chimps as pets for many years now. Many celebrities of the past and the present have owned chimps as well along with people like our next door neighbors. The idea of having a pet is so close to the humans, it is nothing new but that these almost human creatures now raise a lot of dilemmas when it comes to the petting them.
Chimpanzees are also called Common Chimpanzees. The males can grow up to be 150 pounds while the female ones are slightly smaller. They can live for around 50 years, so owning a chimpanzee can lead a big hole in your pocket. Chimps need long years of continuous service which might get monotonous and a little tiring. But they are such a huge packet of entertainment and fun, you will have no knowledge of the passing time in the company of your chimp.
Chimpanzees are very familiar to the humans, perhaps because so much of their behaviour reminds us of ourselves. They are considered great apes list like gorillas, orangutans and Bonobos. They are extremely social and intelligent animals. They are active, strong and very hands on. They usually thrive in social groups of other chimpanzees and groom each other often. So buying two or more chimps together will be helpful for them individually in associating and growing up. Young chimps are declared adults at the age of 13. Once they reach adulthood thy can become quite physical, harmful as well as demanding. This is when many chimp owners leave hope. Therefore petting a chimpanzee comes with a lot of responsibilities altogether. They spend their day much like us, they eat, sleep, socialize and play. Chimps can get bored easily if they have nothing constructive to do. They can also turn aggressive and cause harm.

Earlier many chimpanzees used to be trained as service animals and would help their owners do everything like cooking, opening doors, picking up items, washing dishes and even dialing 911. Some people have trained their chimps to learn sign languages, dress up all by themselves and do so many other things we can never even think about seeing a primate do. It also includes using the remote to watch television, eat from the plate all by themselves, play with toys made for a human child.
It is also important that chimpanzees are toilet trained while many owners make them wear diapers. They can learn if taught properly. Besides they can also perform activities like eating from the plate with a knife and a fork, picking up toys just like a young boy learns to do.
Chimpanzees are omnivores which mean they eat both plants and animals. Fruits, leaves, insects, eggs, tree bark, nuts and ocassionally even smaller animals have been observed to be consumed by the wild chimps. And who doesn’t know about bananas being their favourite food, just like ice-creams are ours. While in captivity, their primary diet should be formulated and nutritionally complete. While these primary diets offer much of what a chimpanzee needs, they lack in encouraging the foraging behaviour which is such an important part of their mental stimulation. Breaking open the nut, picking leaves off the branches, biting into fruits, slicing the banana are activities necessary for their well-being and should be encouraged in addition to feeding the primate diet. The basic states that if your chimp weighs 100 pounds, he should eat about four pounds of food in a day which is ideally adjusted to maintain his body weight. However if you feed your chimpanzee delicacies, spaghetti, keep it on a diet of fast food or take it out for Chinese, he will obviously live and grow but not a long or either a healthy life.
Regular veterinary visit ensures their healthy lifestyle. Heart disease, dental disease and diabetes are common in them. Every primate should be closely monitored for the diseases. Vaccinations discussed with the vet should only be given according to the correct schedule.

Chimpanzees are atleast four times as strong as humans and hence need a durable enclosure to keep them contained when you are unable to watch them. A single room or a large outdoor enclosure dedicated to your chimp along with plenty of ropes, swings, play – items can be a perfect residential home for them. Usually they need bigger space to move around and exercise. If they are made to sit ideal in one place for long hours, they will be depressed and fall sick. Proper play and playmates will provide the best platform for wise channeling of his energies. So in case you remain busy and outdoor for most part of the day, it’s always suitable to but two chimpanzees together so that both can complement each other and never get bored. Glass windows should be protected from being shattered by a strong chimp throwing items towards it.

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