( Read how animal mothers remind us a lot of our own.)ĭue to habitat destruction, hunting, and disease, the great ape’s populations have fallen by at least 70 percent, from about a million in 1900 to between 172,000 and 300,000 today. In recent years, new research has brought chimpanzee motherhood into clearer focus, while also providing valuable information about this endangered species. Though chimp communities-which range from Uganda’s tropical rainforests to Tanzania’s savanna woodlands-are diverse, with their own quirks and behaviors, they all share the same foundation: Powerful bonds between moms and young. Sound familiar? Like human moms, chimpanzees pour immense resources into raising their offspring into healthy adults, which can live up to 40 years in the wild. An intense, time-consuming relationship that lasts more than a decade.