Across America, captive chimps live among us. Absorbing our culture, serving as our proxies, and sometimes fooling us into thinking they’re nearly human. When we misunderstand their true nature, however, the results can be tragic: for us and for them. Follow us into stories of the chaos that can follow human and chimpanzee interaction.

Chimps are more closely related to humans than to gorillas.

Humans and chimps have over 98% of their DNA in common.

Studies suggest that humans are so genetically close to chimps that not only should chimps belong in the same taxonomic family as humans, but also in the same genus.

It is believed that about 5 million years ago chimps and humans split off from a common ancestor.

Chimpanzees have 13 ribs, while humans have only 12.

An adult chimpanzee can weigh up to 200 pounds and is up to 7 times stronger than a human adult.

In many states, it is not illegal to own a chimpanzee.

In captivity chimpanzees live about 60 years.

Chimps are one of the few species, besides humans, that can recognize themselves in a mirror. Other species include dolphins and elephants.

There are 4 types of great apes – chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans and bonobos.