Chimpanzee
communities in the Mahale Mountains NP may spend up to 23% (!) of their daytime
hours grooming. The purpose of all this grooming is to remove parasites such as
lice and ticks, as well as to strengthen social relationships between
individuals. Not a unique position to Mahale Mountains NP but certainly not
practiced in all other chimpanzee communities either, is the grooming hand
clasp.
An interesting position in which two chimpanzees groom each other simultaneously - both arms
upheld in the air - clasping their hands together while they groom armpits or
underarm parts.
As we observed these
two chimpanzees taking all the time in the world to meticulously groom each
other, they moved from a variety of grooming positions to the hand clasp and
back. You can really see why it’s comfortable to groom and to be groomed.
There is some sort
of peacefulness that falls upon you while seeing these apes do this.