From Clinging to Climbing: A Primate Lesson? 🐵🍼 Chimpanzees are among the most altricial species in the animal kingdom — meaning they are born highly dependent on their mothers for survival. A newborn chimpanzee clings to its mother’s body for months, nurses for about five years, and continues to learn from her for at least a decade. Even as juveniles, chimps stay close to their mothers, relying on her for comfort, protection, and essential survival skills like tool use and foraging techniques