Just like humans, chimpanzees use a wide variety of facial expressions to display their emotions. Since we often think of chimps as so similar to humans, you can see how easy it might be for newcomers to chimpanzee behavior to misinterpret some of the photos they might see out there of chimps seemingly grinning happily for the photographer. Here’s a little tour of some chimpanzee facial expressions we see on a daily basis and the meanings behind them.
A typical relaxed face, as demonstrated by Negra:
Jody has the best relaxed face, drooped lip expressions:
Here’s Burrito’s sneer face. In this case he seems to be uncomfortable with the long grass poking him in the face or the prickly vegetation underfoot:
Negra’s pout face. She often pouts when she is uneasy in a situation or she is trying to assert her dominance and take something from another chimpanzee. One way or another, she usually receives a lot of reassurance from her friends when she is pouting and whimpering:
Here are two happy chimpanzees (Missy and Annie) displaying giant play faces. Notice how their top lips cover their top teeth and their bottom teeth are exposed. This is how you smile like a chimpanzee!
Now compare those happy smiles to these full open grin fear grimaces that Annie and Jamie are showing here. I can almost hear them screaming at each other (maybe over a food disagreement?).:
Needless to say, they aren’t happy in this photo. We’ve probably all seen photos of young chimps dressed up in costumes and posing on the cover of greeting cards or in commercials with similar fearful expressions as Annie and Jamie. To learn more about how you can advocate on the behalf of these chimpanzees, follow this link and thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge with others.
CeeCee says
Thank you for the great pictures, I love these educational posts, I knew about
the Grin being a angry/scared thing, but its so great to see an example.
just the other day I tweeted back at Jimmy Kimmel (who I love) about showing a
chimp smoking on his show, he thinks its so funny, and I reminded him IT’S NOT, ITS ABUSE !
Tobin says
Cee Cee,
Thank you for writing the television show. Given what we know about the behavior of
chimpanzees, it is inexcusable in 2018 that a chimp should be portrayed that way in the media!
debi says
I always have to laugh whenever I notice these MAGNIFICENT Chimps having straighter teeth then ME…grins
Kathleen says
I am a graphic designer who worked in the greeting card industry for decades. As an art director in the industry for an international greeting card company I am proud to say I never, ever exploited any animals. It would be inhumane and unethical to do so. To see the major greeting card companies still exploiting chimpanzees for a quick gag is simply appalling. A chimps fear grimace is not funny. I will never purchase or support the purchasing of a greeting card that uses a chimpanzee as a prop. We need to take a stand as purchasers of these cards and fight the industry who creates and prints these deplorable images. The power is in our hands. Just say NO. Please, never buy a greeting card with a chimpanzee, because that poor chimpanzee has suffered a great deal in the process. Instead, let’s fight together and to rescue that chimpanzee and deliver them to a well deserved life in sanctuary. Every chimpanzee living with a “trainer” deserves a life equal to the lives of the Cle Elum Seven. It all starts with our power to not purchase this nonsense. (Shame on all art directors/agencies who support this deplorable propaganda).
Together we can put an end to the production these disgusting cards.
Tobin says
Hear, hear!
Tobin says
Thank you for posting this informative message not only about the chimpanzee facial expression. I also
commend you for once again apprising those who will read that the use of chimpanzees in the so-called
“entertainment” industry. Knowing how such people are abused (Burrito and Jamie come to mind), I am
once again ashamed of human brutality to our nearest neighbors in the evolutionary tree.
I first came became aware of the Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest while doing on-line research on another topic for a writing project which I was composing. Recalling what I had read in Jane Goodall’s works, I was aghast that, circa 1960, young (and thus more easily manipulated) chimpanzees were a recurring presence in television. Apparently, chimps were basically presented as hairier versions of human toddlers. As an example, I witnessed a chimpanzee wearing roller skates and jumping through a hoop. The risks to that chimp’s health are but just one ethical red flag which occurred to me. (And how was it that “Zippy the Chimp” came to reside in a human home environment? On his own volition? Was his mother such an inadequate parent that Child Protection had no choice but to remove the child from his home?).
Chimpanzees were not put on earth to amuse human primates. They are part of this planet’s biosphere, and their existence (however presently endangered) is its own justification.
Linda says
I think my favorite face ever so far (other than Foxie smiling a lot) has to be Jody in your “food sharing” video. She tries for a piece of Foxie’s coconut, and Foxie finally hands over the (larger) piece, and suddenly Jody’s face gets this truly pious, beatific look on it, as she accepts it. So dainty! Then, the food grunts start, of course.