Chimpanzee

Pan troglodytes

Natural diet Chimpanzee

Chimpanzees are omnivorous frugivores, meaning that they have a diverse diet but with a preference for fruits. Amongst others, their diet includes leaves, fruits and insects, but eventually also other small vertebrates may be consumed.

Fruits

Insects

Leaves

Feeding advice Chimpanzee

Feed quantity per day

5-10%

Sample percentage calculation

If an animal weighs 50 kg and eats 8% of its body weight, it will get

50 x 0.08 = 4 kg feed in total per day

Feed composition

10% Concentrates
15% Leafy greens and cabbages
55% Other vegetables
10% Browse
10% Other

Proportions (fresh product)

0.1 x 4 kg = 400 g concentrates
0.15 x 4 kg = 600 g leafy greens and cabbages
0.55 x 4 kg = 2,200 g other vegetables
0.1 x 4 kg = 400 g browse
0.1 x 4 kg = 400 g other

Feeding advice Chimpanzee

Feed quantity per day

5-10%

Sample percentage calculation

If an animal weighs 50 kg and eats 8% of its body weight, it will get

50 x 0.08 = 4 kg feed in total per day

Feed composition

10% Concentrates
15% Leafy greens and cabbages
55% Other vegetables
10% Browse
10% Other

Proportions (fresh product)

0.1 x 4 kg = 400 g concentrates
0.15 x 4 kg = 600 g leafy greens and cabbages
0.55 x 4 kg = 2,200 g other vegetables
0.1 x 4 kg = 400 g browse
0.1 x 4 kg = 400 g other

Diet Suggestions

In moderation

Insects

Not recommended

Fruits

Common diseases

An unbalanced diet may result in one of these more commonly occurring diseases/conditions:

Metabolic bone disease
Diabetes mellitus
Obesity
Cardiovascular disease

Additional advice

Divide the “Feed quantity per day” over at least two feeding moments per day.
Although present in their natural diet, feeding fruits might lead to abnormal fermentation in the hindgut because of high sugar levels in cultivated fruits compared to wild fruits (read more about nutritional values of (wild) fruits and vegetables).
Supplement a diverse selection of vegetables (read more about differences between vegetables).
Provide less palatable food in the morning, when hunger is greatest.
Feeding in bowls is not recommended.
Stimulate foraging behaviour by hiding, stacking or hanging the feed. Examples can be feeding puzzles, tubes, hanging boxes and/ or scatter feeding (read more about feed enrichment and foraging behaviour).

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