Maximum life span in the wild may be 60 years. The newborn is helpless with only a weak grasping reflex and needs support from the mother's hand during travel. By four years, the infant travels mostly by walking, but stays with its mother until at least five to seven years old. Weaning begins in the third year. Chimp communities are made up of 15 to 120 animals.
Mothers often travel alone with only their offspring.
Males seldom or never leave the community into which they were born, whereas most females migrate to a new community during an adolescent estrus period. In male relationships, tension is routinely expressed in dominance interactions when parties meet, but males also spend much time grooming each other. They form a loose dominance hierarchy. Goodall has documented serious territorial fights. They often feed by poking a twig or vine into a termite nest hole.