July 14 marks the day Jane Goodall arrived at what is now Gombe National Park in Tanzania in 1960. World Chimpanzee Day commemorates the start of that work and celebrates what we’ve learned about chimpanzees since.
At Gombe, chimpanzees use slender stems to fish for termites. In some West African communities, chimpanzees use stones or pieces of wood to crack nuts. These skills can spread through social learning. Watch a young chimpanzee near an adult with a tool and see what holds the youngster’s attention.
About the observance