Chimpanzees live in troops of 25 – 80 animals. Living like this offers a lot of protection against predators. With that many chimpanzees, there are plenty of eyes on the lookout for any big cats prowling the area. But if a chimpanzee were to find himself alone and stumble across a leopard in the jungle, would the chimpanzee survive the encounter? In this article, we will compare both animals and determine who would win in a chimpanzee vs leopard fight.
Chimpanzee vs Leopard: Fact Sheet
| Chimpanzee | Leopard | |
| Size | weight 40 – 70 kg height standing upright 1 – 1.7 m | weight 37 – 90 kg shoulder height 60 – 70 cm body length 90 – 196 cm tail length 66 – 102 cm |
| Speed | 25 mph | 36 mph |
| Attack | larger canines than a human punch kick | bite force of at least 400 psi 5 cm long canines |
| Habitat | Forests of Central Africa | Africa grasslands arid areas rainforests |
| Diet | omnivore | carnivore |
| Lifespan | 15 – 30 years | 12 – 17 years |
| Predators | leopards lions | lions packs of hyena and painted dogs |
Chimpanzee vs Leopard: Size and Appearance
Chimpanzees have a muscular frame covered in black hair apart from their face, palm, fingers, toes and the soles of their feet. An adult male weighs between 40 – 70 kg (88 – 154 lbs). When standing fully upright, they measure 1 – 1.7 m (3.3 – 5.6 ft).
Leopards have a fur coat covered in Rosette markings which helps camouflage them for when they are stalking their prey. They have a similar appearance to the South American jaguar, except they are smaller and lighter.
Adult males weigh 37 – 90 kg (81.5 – 198 lbs) with a shoulder height of 60 – 70 cm (23.6 – 27.5 in). They have a head and body length of 90 – 196 cm (35.4 – 77 in), with their tail measuring 66 – 102 cm (26 – 40 in) long.
Chimpanzee vs Leopard: Movement Speed
Chimpanzees are fast on all fours, able to move at 25 mph (40 kph) for short distances. They can even walk upright for 0.6 miles (1 km). Chimpanzees also excel at climbing because they can bend their wrist and ankle joints through extreme ranges.
Leopards can sprint up to 36 mph (58 kph) to catch their prey faster. Leopards are also well adapted to climbing, as this is where they stash their kills. They can climb as high as 15 m (49 ft) by placing their prey in the branches. It stops lions or hyenas from stealing their hard-earned meal.
Chimpanzee vs Leopard: Attack Power
Chimpanzees fight dirty; they bite, wrestle, slam, punch, kick, drag and even pull hair. They will pin down their enemy with their strong muscles and bite them with their large canines if they can.
Leopards hunt by first stalking their prey. Once they are close enough, they break out into a fast sprint to chase down the animal. They jump on the animal or swipe at it with their paw to bring the animal down. They kill their prey with a bite to the neck with their 5 cm (2 in) long canines. Holding a bite down on the neck suffocates the animal.
I could not find any information on how strong a leopard’s bite force is. But as a leopard can carry an animal weighing the same amount as itself up a tree, it must be at least. The same strength as a cheetah or stronger a cheetah has a bite force of 400 psi.
Chimpanzee vs Leopard: Differences
Even though both animals can climb trees, there are many differences between the two. The most obvious one is that chimpanzees are apes while the leopard is a cat. Another clear difference is that chimpanzees live in groups of 15 – 80 animals, while leopards are solitary animals living and hunting alone.
Also, chimpanzees are highly intelligent animals able to use tools to find food. We don’t know how smart leopards are, but they definitely don’t use tools. Also, their diet differs. The chimpanzee is an omnivore, while the leopard is a carnivore.
Chimpanzee vs leopard who would win in a fight?
In a chimpanzee vs leopard fight, a leopard will always win as long as the leopard can stop the chimp from escaping up a tree. On the ground, the leopard can easily overpower the chimp due to it being bigger and stronger. The chimpanzee’s best chance of survival is to run to the nearest tree and climb as high as possible. The leopard may be a competent climber, but it can’t reach the same height as a chimpanzee.
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