50 Fascinating Facts about Apes and Monkeys

While chimpanzees can be violent, mankind's closest relative --the bonobo-- has never once been observed killing another member of the same species.

27. Capuchin monkeys reject fruit from researchers if they consider it inferior to the fruit being received by its peers.

28. There was a gorilla named Michael who learned sign language and once described what it was like to watch his mother be killed by poachers.

29. A wild monkey in Thailand was nicknamed Uncle Fat after he gorged himself on junk food and soda left behind by tourists and became morbidly obese. He had to be put on a strict diet. At 26Kg, he was 3 times heavier than the average macaque.

30. An orangutan named Chantek was raised as a human, went to college, and eventually referred to himself as an "orangutan person"

Zookeepers in Spain installed a TV set in their chimp Gina's cage and then taught her how to use the remote. While channel surfing, Gina discovered the porn station, to which she became addicted.

32. When the dominant male in a troop of gorillas dies or is killed, then the troop will go their separate ways and find new groups to be a part of. However, if a younger male challenges the leader and wins then he becomes the new leader and the troop stays intact.

33. Monkeys display metacognitive abilities, which means that they are aware of their own thought process and knowledge, and seek to actively control it.

34. A Chimpanzee named Julie, started a fashion trend among the other apes in her group in 2010 by sticking a hair of grass in her ear. The style caught on shortly after the act.

35. A handsome gorilla named Shabani is famous in Japan for his good looks.

The endangered Barbary macaque is the only wild European primate, with approximately 230 living on the Rock of Gibraltar.

37. A baboon named Jackie during World War 1 participated in action, sustained several wounds, had his leg amputated, was promoted to corporal and received Pretoria Citizen’s Service Medal.

38. A male gorilla will grow his 'Silverback' at around twelve years old. Subordinate males in a troop are younger, and are known as 'blackbacks.'

39. There is a charity that provides Capuchin monkeys to those with spinal cord injuries and mobility impairments, free of charge. They are called the Helping Hands Monkey Helpers.

40. 66% of orangutans are left-handed.

A monkey called Ramu in India was put in prison for 5 years for biting a child. After his release, he bit a child again and was imprisoned again. Since Ramu is a rhesus macaque, an endangered species, the police was not allowed to keep him as a pet or behind bars, so he was released into the wild.

42. A study found that poo flinging chimps are more intelligent than those that do not. They have more heightened development in the motor cortex, more connections between it and the Broca’s area, and are better communicators in the group.

43. A species of monkey named Gelada are capable of 'cheating' on their partners and covering up their 'infidelity' by suppressing their normal mating cries so as not to be overheard.

44. The dominant male Mandrill baboon's butt will naturally turn more blue due to the hormones he experiences while in control.

45. Mountain gorillas are in a semi-permanent state of flatulence due to the large amounts of gas produced from bacteria aiding their digestion.

A monkey discovered in 2010 was named the Burmese sneezing monkey because it sneezes uncontrollably when it rains.

47. Chacma baboon mothers constantly have their babies killed by other baboons, so to protect their young, they become "friends" with male baboons by forming a nonsexual bond with them, which leads to the male baboon protecting the mother and her baby from other baboons.

48. Female orangutans will seek protection of larger males from sexual harassment of smaller males.

49. In the 1970's, a chimp named Nim Chimpsky was raised by a human family and taught sign language to challenge Noam Chomsky's theory that only humans have language. Nim's longest sentence was “Give orange me give eat orange me eat orange give me eat orange give me you.”

50. The English village of Uley adopted a lowland gorilla which was captured in Gabon after French poachers shot its parents. The gorilla, named John Daniel, was raised as a boy, made his own bed, played with children, and drank tea.