01x07 - Pan Troglodytes: An In-depth Analysis

[bunniefuu]

[Allison]
on this episode martin and chris
will look at pan troglodytes.

Who are pan troglodytes?

How about chimps?

[Martin]
we'll be checking out
the chimpanzee

And their primate relatives,
gorillas and orangutans.

By hanging out
with three orphan chimps,

We'll find out how
our closest creature relatives

Eat, sleep, and learn,

And we'll have a lot of fun
in the process.

That would be all right!

Iarriba!

Iandale, andale!

[Martin]
the story of our search

For the real chimpanzee

Goes back to when chris and I
were little kids.

[Chris]
martin and I were always psyched

When we found creatures

In the park, at the petting zoo,
or at the marina.

Hey, that's me!

We were a little confused
by the images we saw

In books, comics,
and on saturday morning tv.

What the heck is that?

Fast forward, guys.

[Martin]
chris and I took up creature
adventuring full-time.

We discovered the true story

Behind so many
amazing creatures.

One image stayed
in our heads.

Thatwas supposed
to represent chimps?

Forget it.

We're here
in the woodlands
of africa

Searching
for the answer

To a lifelong
question--

What is the real
chimpanzee?

We know it's not them
riding unicycles

Or wearing little coats
with red buttons...

Or doing
ridiculous stunts

That humans
make them do.

We're going to hang out
with these young chimps,

And together, we're going
to discover the identity

Of the wild chimpanzee.

But first
we have to ask ourselves

Where chimpanzees
came from.

If you want to know
what the chimpanzee's all about,

You've got to go way back.

It's a good thing I'm here

Because I go way back.

I can tell you exactly
how it started.

You don't have to tell me
how it started.

Think of this tape measure
as measuring time.

Each foot is 10 million years.

About here is


That's when the ancestral
primate appeared.

From him came
the primitive monkey,

And then aegyptopithicus--

Sort of an ancestral ape.

Aegyptopithicus--

Now there was a swinging ape.

Then came dryopithecus
and pliopithecus.

I tell you, al,

Everywhere you look,
there is some pithecus

Coming out of the woodwork.

Do you know
what happened next?

Next was 10 million years ago--

The miocene era.

That's when the first
apes appeared.

They were the ancestors
to our modern-day chimpanzees,

Gibbons, and orangutans.

Here's how
they look today.

There's the african chimpanzee,

The orangutan, who lives
in sumatra and borneo.

Orangutan means old man
of the forest.

Makes sense to me.

From southeast asia,

There's the gibbon--
the smallest ape

And a cool-looking customer.

Wait a minute!
You forgot gorillas!

You can't forget
gorillas!

I didn't forget gorillas.

Hey, guys,
who are your friends?

[Martin]
these are three orphan chimps
we're hanging out with.

How about an introduction?

This is tess.
She's 2 years old.

[Chimpanzees screeching]

And this is sophie.
She's 4.

And this is nika.
She's 2 1/2.

They're all orphans.

They've lost
their families

Along with their
wild life styles.

They really don't know
everything about
being wild chimps.

They're going to teach
us a few things

While we tell them
what we know.

Together we'll
help each other

Rediscover
the true chimp
creaturnality.

[Chris]
baby chimps are naturally
curious and really smart.

They're always ready to learn.

For a chimp to survive
in the wild,

He has to learn many things,

Like knowing what food
is good to eat.

Think of all the things
humans eat

On a regular basis--

Meat, eggs, grain, fruit.

We've been eating this
since our early beginnings.

You know what a chimpanzee eats?

How about veggies,
nuts, a lot of fruit,

Plus meat from the small animals
they hunt?

So, what does that mean?

Besides the way
things are prepared,

The only real difference

Between my diet
and a chimpanzee's diet is--

Your bugs, sir.

Bugs? Maybe I'm
missing something.

Maggots are good...

S-sort of.

Kind of a funny aftertaste,
though.

Yuk!

I didn't really
eat maggots.

They were baked beans.

The point I was trying
to make, though,

Is that besides insects,

The diet of chimps and humans
is pretty similar.

Although a chimpanzee's diet
does vary

Depending on where he lives

And what his community
prefers to eat,

Fruit is the mainstay
of most chimps' diet.

Some will spend
up to four hours a day

Foraging for fruit
in the trees.

They can be pretty choosy eaters
like martin.

[Martin]
there's nothing wrong with that.

[Chris]
chimps know what they want.

They're smelling the fruit
to see if it's ripe

And throwing away what's not.

They learn how to find food
from mom.

Baby chimps
are dependent on mom

For up to five or six years.

In that time,

Mom will teach her young
everything they need to know.

An amazing thing about chimps

Is that some scientists believe

They have their own kind
of medicine.

They'll suck on different
herbs and leaves,

Using them
for medicinal purposes.

Since our three orphans
don't have their moms around,

We're going to try
and help them out

With what we know
about the chimpanzee's diet--

What to eat
and how to get it.

Do orphan chimps
know how to

Poke a grass stem
in a termite mound

To get the termites out?

[Chris]
there's only one way
to find out.

First we need to get
our utensils together.

We have a stick and a log.

Let's see how nika does.

Hey, where you going?

O.k. Try it again.

No.

Nika got a little frustrated,

But sophie's been watching,

So let's see
if she's interested.

Hey, wait a second.

She's got it!

Sophie learned so quickly,

But we shouldn't be surprised.

No kidding.

That's one of the things

That separates chimps
from all other animals--

They're tool users.

They use sticks like this

To get insects out of a hole.

They'll put the stick
in the hole,

Wait for the insect
to latch on,

And pull it out.

It's kind of like
a double-dip ice-cream cone,

Except termites
are sprinkles that move.

Now sophie's really
got it down.

She learned how to use
her termite tool

Quicker than martin learned
how to use color.

[Martin]
hey!

Progressive primates!

You think chimps only use tools
to get bugs?

That's only the tip
of the termite mound.

They've got
all sorts of ideas.

They're as clever
as a leaf-cutter ant

At a fungus farm.

[Chris]
definitely.

Maybe it's learned
or instinct.

Probably both,
but one thing's for sure--

They have endless ideas

When it comes
to snagging grub.

Just like wild chimps,

These orphans are finding
a variety of food to eat--

Leaves, fruit, bugs.

Chimps are amazingly clever

When it comes
to finding food.

They're not just clever,
they're brilliant.

Sophie gets a big
opposable thumbs up

For figuring out
the old termite trick.

Chimps and humans

Are the two
most accomplished
tool users

In the creature world.

The way they're able
to manipulate their tools

Is with
the opposable thumb.

The opposable thumb
allows them

To manipulate things
and pick them up.

Their big toes
even act like thumbs.

According to this,

It's not just chimpanzees.

All apes have some form
of an opposable thumb.

Check out the gorilla.

Gorillas are
the largest primate,

And they live
in central africa.

They use their opposable thumbs

For grabbing vegetation
and getting around in trees.

Gorillas are not tool users.

They evolved differently
from chimps

And didn't need tools.

No animal uses tools
better than the chimp.

One of the best examples
of tool using

Is taking a stick
or a rock

And breaking open
a nut.

We're going
to teach our chimps

How to use a tool.

No. Not the fig.

Get the fig after.

O.k. There you go.

Yeah.

Ha ha ha!

Yeah! Yes, sophie!
All right!

Ha ha ha!

The amazing thing
about chimpanzees

Is that an adult male
has the strength

Of three men.

Imagine being that strong.

That would be all right!

[Allison]
so are chimps the strongest
of all primates?

Not exactly.

For a great example of strength,

You got to load up
your creature pack

And trek to indonesia.

There you can find
the awesome orangutan.

Orangutans weigh
up to 200 pounds,

And it takes a lot of strength

To swing that weight around.

This mom is having no trouble,

Even with the extra weight
of her baby.

In fact,
orangutans are

One of the creature world's
greatest acrobats.

Yeah, but if you want strength,

Check out the gorilla.

He's where I'd put my money
in a muscle contest.

Gorillas are
the strongest of the apes,

But they only use their strength
when they need to.

That's an important part
of the true gorilla story.

For some reason, gorillas
have always been portrayed

As vicious and ferocious,

But they're
the most peaceful and gentle

Of all the apes.

You know what the difference is

Between animals who hunt
and don't hunt,

Between animals who k*ll
and don't k*ll?

It's all in what you eat.

Gorillas are almost
complete vegetarians.

They eat fruit, roots,
grubs, snails,

Dirt, dung,
and even tree bark.

Gorillas don't hunt,
and contrary to their image,

They're not mean,
vicious brutes.

[Chris]
where do these ideas
about gorillas come from?

It's the chimps who
use their strength

Aggressively
and viciously.

It might seem
hard to believe,

But chimpanzees can be
very violent creatures.

Which is a lot different
from our image of them.

That's the story no one
seems to want to accept.

But it's the real story.

That's what
we're here to tell.

Being an omnivore
adds a whole other element

To the chimp's creaturnality.

For one thing,
it affects how they interact

With other species
and each other.

When it comes to a troop
on the move,

Chimps are the master
of precision.

They're organized,

And when moving
through the forest,

They have various means
of communication

That keeps
everybody together.

Sophie, come on.

Let's go.

[Chris]
it's weird to think
that our little orphans

Will grow up
into fierce hunters.

But that's a natural part

Of the real chimpanzee story.

When they're older,
they'll hunt monkeys,

Young baboons, and bush pigs.

Once they spot their prey,
the chase is on.

[Chimpanzees screeching]

This might seem scary,

But for the monkey
they're chasing, it is.

[Ttark]
but chimps aren't just
aggressive about hunting.

They're territorial, too,

And they get pretty touchy

About other chimps
in their turf.

Believe me,
if you're a lone male

Wandering into an unknown
group's territory...

[Gulp]

The result isn't pretty.

The amazing thing
about these hunts

Is that they're planned.

The chimps think ahead
about what they're going to do.

They formulate their plan,
then lie in wait.

Then...

They make their move.

It's time for the orphan chimps

To learn how to hunt.

This will be great
considering they have

Two amazing teachers.

The first step is getting
the group together...

Which isn't going so well.

You know, maybe they're not
into this hunting thing.

[Allison]
I think these chimps

Are trying to tell you
something, guys--

Hunting's out,
and playing's in.

[Chris]
point taken, al.

The chimps have definitely
communicated that,

And hey, that's another part
of the chimp story.

[Ttark]
how else do chimps communicate?

[Chris]
one way they communicate

Is through a wide variety
of facial expressions.

There's so many expressions,

It can be tricky to figure out
what each face means.

That grin is a play face.

That yawn may mean fear.

Definitely a play face.

Tight lips could mean

They're getting ready
for att*ck.

That grimace means b*at it.

[Allison]
chimps also communicate

Through a variety of grunts,
barks, screams, and hoots.

Don't forget
their calls.

Chimpanzees have
their very own
language.

It takes a little while
to figure out.

Chimp language class in session.

Wahoo! Wahoo!

Wahoo!

Wahoo!

Wahoo!

Wahoo!

Wahoo!

Wahoo!

Come on, tess.

Wahoo!

Wahoo!

Maybe it's your
jersey accent.

Ha ha ha!

It's not that, tess,
is it?

Wahoo!

It's hard for creatures

To translate
each others' languages,

But creatures are able
to understand

The sounds of their own kind.

If you look around
the creature world,

There's a lot of communication
going on.

One thing we learned
on our creature adventures

Is that knowing
different languages

Comes in real handy.

Knowing a bit of swahili
or spanish is great,

But we're talking about
languages creatures use.

They communicate by smell,
sight, sound, and touch.

[Twittering]

[Cawing]

The call of the loon
may sound sad,

But it's actually
a warning sign.

It means "this is our lake,
and you're not welcome."

Like the loon,
the wolf makes noise

To warn other wolves
to keep away--

A howl.

One different thing
about wolves

Is that they live
in large social groups.

Howling is also used
to keep the group together.

[Aa-ooh]

And talk about
group communication,

Check out dolphins.

They live
in groups called pods

That have up to 15 members,

And they have
a wide vocabulary

Of over 32 sounds.

They use squeals, clicks,
barks, and whistles

To talk to each other.

Each dolphin has
his own signature whistle

So other dolphins know who it is
when he calls.

[Whistling]

Baboons live in large groups
compared to dolphins.

They have as many as


Preventing fights and keeping
the group together

By maintaining social order
requires good communication.

One thing for sure is

If you ever see a baboon
doing this...

Stay away,
because he means business.

When it comes to communication,

It's how you say it--

With noise, body posture,
or action.

So to sum up,

Creature language
is complex and amazing.

Like human language,

It's used
to express emotion, too.

This is how
chimps laugh.

[Chimp grunting]

Another form of communication

Comes in the form
of grooming.

Not only are they
cleaning each other,

They're also building bonds
and offering friendship.

It's how a lower-ranking chimp
can establish ties

With a higher-ranking chimp.

Grooming is an important part

Of how chimps get along.

Hey, grooming is a great form
of relaxation.

Nika likes to get
really comfortable

When she's getting groomed.

Hey, the orphans
want to share food.

Tess is making the share face.

You mean chimpanzees
actually share their food?

That can't be true,
can it?

Chimps share their food,

Which is something that starts
right from birth.

[Chris]
and it's not just chimps.

Sharing is part
of the entire ape world.

These orangutans are sharing
food with their young.

This gorilla mom
is telling her young

That she has to chew on bark.

It's not just sharing food,

It's sharing the information
on how to find it.

When a baby is old enough
to go on her own,

She needs to know
how to find food.

That knowledge
makes the difference

Between life and death.

So it's important that
they're taught by their moms

Or the group.

That's one disadvantage
our young orphan chimps face.

They need to be taught more.

One of the most important things
a young chimp must learn

Is how to build a nest
to sleep in.

There are a lot of animals
that build nests.

Who are the creature world's
best nest builders?

Give high marks
for predator protection

To the african weaverbirds.

Tdey make some of the coolest,
most intricate nests.

Starting with a ring of grass,

The nest is built
into a ball shape.

A tubular entrance
is built to one side

To keep out predators
like snakes.

Amazing.

How about the african
buffalo weaver?

Top marks
for best use of space.


Into one colony.

It's apartment-style living,

And the buffalo-weavers
did it first.

[Allison]
don't forget about termites.

They're responsible for some
of the most complex

And downright weird architecture
in the world.

These little insects
build colonies

That house
up to five million termites.

That's more than the population
of some countries.

My vote goes here.

[Martin]
my vote for the best
home security system

Goes to the crocodilians.

Mom gators and crocs
stick around their egg nests

Until the eggs hatch.

What's mom's security system?

Herself. Who wants to mess
with the nest

When she's around?

[Chris] best
temperature-controlled nest--

The australian brush turkey.

The mom turkey lays her eggs

In a huge pile
of rotting leaves

Built by the male.

The eggs are covered over
by sandy soil

And kept warm by the heat
of the sun

And rotting vegetation.

The male checks
the temperature regularly

And makes the necessary changes
if it gets too hot.

[Allison]
the award for the largest nest

Goes to two bald eagles
in florida.

Their nest was estimated
to weigh more than 2 tons--

That's equal
to two army jeeps.

That's totally amazing.

But chimpanzees building nests?

I wouldn't have believed it.

Orangutans, too?
And gorillas?

I suppose it makes sense

That orangutans
would build nests

Because they hardly ever
come down on the ground,

But chimpanzees?

Every night, chimps have to
build a nest to sleep in,

So tess and I
are building a nest.

There you go, sophie.

Go ahead.

Nika, where you going?

It's a good nest.

Nika?

Looks pretty comfortable.

Yeah, nika.

Go to sleep.

Hey...

Get in there.

Get in there.

Hey, nika,
don't wreck it.

Sleep in it.

Sleep in it.

Just a few minor repairs.

Nika. Here.
I'll fix it for you.

There you go.

Come on.

Let's get in the nest.

Maybe I picked
the wrong location.

I guess you're not tired,
are you?

Are you?

The way this whole nest building
thing is going,

It's going to be
a sleepless night.

You notice something
watching the guys

With the chimpanzees?

Does something
look familiar here?

Seeing these chimps and gorillas
monkey around

Sort of reminds me
of two guys I know.

[Martin]
hey, and why not?

Baby chimps love to play,

Just like chris and I did
when we were small

[Chris]
and still do.

Humans are primates, too.

[Ttark]
how did humans get in here?

We're talking about a bunch
of chimps and gorillas.

Not a bunch, exactly.

It says here
that there are only

About 200,000 wild chimpanzees
left in the world

Compared to five billion humans.

How about this?

There are only
about 300 mountain gorillas

Left in the wild.

The reason
they're disappearing?

Man.

Now that makes me go
bamboo sh**t.

Humans are chimps'
number one thr*at.

Their only defense
is either hiding
or running away

When they're in danger.

There is something
humans can do

To help chimps.

We can learn
about them,

Understand them,

Give them the space
they need to survive

In the way
they were meant
to survive.

As real chimps
in the wild.

That's where they belong.

As happy and playful
as these baby chimps are,

They've been orphaned.

We helped them.

We helped them
learn survival tricks,

And they helped us learn

The real chimpanzee story.

We've had a lot of fun

And learned
how closely related
we all are.

But most importantly,

We've learned
that chimps have

Their own
unique identity.

We don't have to
think of chimps
like this anymore.

Forget those
home movies.

We'll settle
for these home movies.

These home movies
are great reminders

Of an amazing
and truly educational

Creature adventure.

The most important thing
we learned about chimpanzees

And all primates

Is that their place
is in the wild.

One way to keep chimps
in the wild

Is not to take them home
for pets.

Chimps are complex,
intelligent animals

Whose homes are out
in the wilderness,

Not in our backyards.

[Allison]
I doubt I'll ever be able

To look at chimps
dressed up in clothes

Or performing in circuses
the same way again.

They're not playthings.

They're real living,
thinking creatures.

We're all members of the same
creature family, right?

You must be careful
how you treat your family.