The most humanlike of all animals, the ape is often termed anthropoid, meaning, “resembling a human.” Apes and humans are members of the group of animals called primates. This group also includes monkeys, lemurs, lorises, and tarsiers. The apes are divided into two categories: the lesser apes and the great apes. The lesser apes are the gibbons, and the great apes are the orangutans, chimpanzees, and gorillas.
Where apes live
Apes live in tropical rain forests. Both gibbons and orangutans inhabit the forests of southeastern Asia. Gibbons are found in the mainland and islands, and orangutans are found in the lowland rain forests on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra.
Chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas inhabit rain forests that lie on or near the equator in Africa. Chimpanzees, in particular, have a wide geographic range and are found in more than a dozen countries of western and central equatorial Africa. Bonobos, on the other hand, are found only in the lowland rain forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in central Africa.
Gibbons and orangutans are arboreal, meaning they live mainly in trees. The orangutan, in fact, is the largest tree-dwelling animal in the world. Sometimes adult male orangutans have to descend to the ground to travel long distances, as the smaller tree branches cannot support their weight. Chimpanzees spend time both on the trees and the ground. Chimpanzees and bonobos come down to the ground to cover larger distances. Most of their feeding otherwise takes place on the trees. Gorillas are largely terrestrial, that is, they spend most of their time on the ground.
Most apes are active during the day. At night they lodge in trees and all except gibbons build sleeping nests for the purpose.
Physical characteristics
Apes share many characteristics, yet each species is quite distinctive in appearance. For instance, all apes have hair, but the color and volume varies from species to species. Gibbons range from tan or silvery to brown or black. Orangutans have a long, reddish-brown coat, or pelage, and are sometimes also called the red ape. Chimpanzees sport a coat of brown or black hair. Gorillas have black skin and hair. The adult male gorilla has a prominent crest on top of the skull and a “saddle” of gray or silver hairs on the lower part of the back. Hence mature males are given the name, silverback.
Gorillas, chimpanzees, and orangutans have short, thickset bodies, long arms, and short legs. Bonobos closely resemble chimpanzees, but have longer arms and a more slender body. Gibbons have remarkably long arms though they are the smallest among apes.
Gorillas are the largest apes. They may attain a height of about 5 12 feet (170 centimeters) and a weight of 300–600 pounds (135–275 kilograms) in the wild.
One feature common to all apes, and which separates them from other primates like monkeys, is that they do not have a tail. Like humans, apes have opposable thumbs and toes, which enable them to grasp and hold objects and to climb. Their fingers and toes have flat nails instead of claws.
Behavior
Movies and books have often portrayed gorillas as ferocious. Studies, however, show that they are not aggressive by nature. Gorillas live in stable family groups of 6 to 20 animals that are led by one or two adult males. The adults are protective towards the other members of the group and turn violent only when they are disturbed or when they sense danger.
Most other apes live in groups as well, though the size of their communities varies. Adult orangutans are the only solitary apes. They come together only for a brief period of courtship before mating.
Apes usually eat shoots, fruits, leaves, seeds, and grass. Gorillas live on an entirely vegetarian diet, but other apes may eat insects, birds' eggs, young birds, or rodents. Bonobos may even eat young antelopes, and chimpanzees sometimes stalk and kill young baboons and bush pigs.
Apes are intelligent creatures, particularly orangutans, gorillas, and chimpanzees. Chimpanzees in the wild use sticks as tools. For instance, they cleverly poke twigs, grass, or other objects into ant and termite nests, withdraw them, and eat the insects that cling to these tools.
Trainers and experimenters have taught both chimpanzees and gorillas to solve problems and use sign language. Orangutans in captivity also show considerable skill and are particularly clever with mechanical objects.
Reproduction and growth
Reproduction among apes is similar to humans. Most apes give birth to a single offspring, after a pregnancy of about seven to nine months. Twins are rare. Infants are generally helpless for the first few months after birth and depend entirely on the mother. They become sexually mature when they are 7 years or older, and may live up to 30 years. It has been noticed that apes generally live longer in captivity.
Under threat
The numbers of most ape species in the wild is shrinking because of hunting and destruction of their natural habitat. Many, like chimpanzees and gorillas, have been exported to zoos and research laboratories. In Africa, gorillas and chimpanzees are prized for their meat. In addition, infant apes bring a high price in the illegal pet trade. These species are considered either vulnerable or endangered.
Steps have been taken for their conservation. Several national parks have been established in countries like Rwanda in Africa and Indonesia and Thailand in southeastern Asia for the protection of gorillas, orangutans, and gibbons. In addition, the law in Indonesia and Malaysia protects the orangutan. The gorilla and bonobos are also protected, but illegal hunting of apes continues.
