How Long Do Chimpanzees Live? Lifespan in the Wild and Zoos

How long do chimpanzees live in the wild?

The average lifespan of a wild chimpanzee varies a great deal from place to place. A 2017 study comparing long-term research sites found average life expectancy at birth of nearly 33 years at Ngogo in Kibale National Park, Uganda, about 20 years at nearby Kanyawara, about 18 years at Gombe in Tanzania and about 13 years in the Taï Forest of Côte d’Ivoire.

These averages are pulled down by deaths in infancy and youth. A chimpanzee that survives childhood has a much better chance of living to 30 or 40, and some wild individuals have been estimated to be over 50. Ngogo, with plenty of food and few predators, shows how long chimpanzees can live in good conditions; its life expectancy is close to that of human hunter-gatherers.

Life stages of a chimpanzee

Chimpanzees grow up slowly, much like humans:

• Infant (0 to about 5 years): clings to its mother, rides on her back and nurses for four to five years.
• Juvenile (about 5 to 8 years): feeds and sleeps alone but stays close to its mother.
• Adolescent (about 8 to 15 years): females develop sexual swellings and often move to a new community; males start to challenge adult females and later low-ranking males.
• Adult (from about 15 years): females usually have their first baby at around 13–15 years, and males take their place in the adult hierarchy at around 15–16.
• Old age (from the mid-30s): older chimpanzees often have worn teeth, gray hair and thinning or bald patches, and move more slowly.

Why do chimpanzees reproduce so slowly?

Pregnancy lasts about eight months, and mothers nurse each infant for years. In the wild, a female usually gives birth only every five to six years, so even a long-lived female may raise only a handful of offspring. Losing an infant or a breeding female therefore has a lasting effect on a community, and populations recover very slowly after declines. This is one reason the species is classed as Endangered.

What kills wild chimpanzees?

At Gombe, where records go back to 1960, disease caused more than half of the deaths with a known cause, and attacks by other chimpanzees caused about a fifth. The main causes of death in the wild include:

• Disease: respiratory infections are the most common. Chimpanzees also catch human diseases, and outbreaks of polio, Ebola and other illnesses have killed many.
• Aggression: males sometimes kill members of neighboring communities, and infants are occasionally killed within their own community.
• Predators: leopards kill chimpanzees in some forests.
• Accidents: falls from trees and other injuries.
• People: hunting for bushmeat, snares set for other animals, and habitat loss.

How do researchers know a wild chimpanzee’s age?

At long-term study sites such as Gombe, Mahale, Taï, Bossou and Kibale, researchers have followed the same communities for decades, so many chimpanzees have known birth dates. For animals that were already adults when a study began, ages are estimated from body size, tooth wear, the condition of the hair and skin, and, for females, the ages of their offspring.

These estimates can be off by several years, which is why claims of very old wild chimpanzees are treated with caution. Long-running studies are steadily improving the picture: each decade adds more chimpanzees whose whole lives, from birth to death, have been recorded.

How long do chimpanzees live in captivity?

In zoos and sanctuaries, protected from predators, rivals and many diseases, chimpanzees usually live much longer than the wild average. Many reach their 40s or 50s, and some have lived past 60.

Little Mama, a female at Lion Country Safari in Florida, was believed to be in her late 70s when she died in 2017, which would make her one of the oldest chimpanzees on record, but her birth date was estimated rather than known. Claims of famous film chimpanzees living to 80 have not been reliably documented.

How does a chimpanzee’s lifespan compare with other apes?

Great apes are long-lived for mammals of their size. Gorillas have a similar lifespan, generally 35–40 years in the wild and sometimes over 60 in zoos (see How long do gorillas live?). Bonobos often live around 40 years in captivity, though their wild lifespan is poorly known. Orangutans may be the longest-lived of all, with some wild females estimated at over 50. For animals that live far longer, see our list of longest-living animals.