Chimpanzees are incredibly intelligent. They use tools — picking up sticks to fish termites out of mounds, using leaves as sponges to soak up drinking water, and cracking open nuts with stones. Some groups in West Africa even have 'cultural traditions' where tool-use techniques are passed from older chimps to younger ones, just like humans teach skills to children.
Chimpanzees live in large, noisy family groups led by an alpha male. They communicate using a huge range of sounds — hoots, screams, grunts and a special loud call called a 'pant-hoot' that can be heard over a kilometre away through the forest. They also use facial expressions and body language, much like we do.
Chimpanzees spend a lot of time building and using nests. Every evening they bend and weave branches in the treetops to make a fresh sleeping platform. These nests are surprisingly comfortable — scientists who have tested them say chimpanzee nests are more stable and better-designed than the average human-made bed! Baby chimps travel clinging to their mother's belly for the first year and then ride on her back.