Chimp nests in trees are cleaner then human beds

Chimpanzee beds are cleaner than human ones, scientists have discovered.

The great apes build complex tree nests out of branches and leaves in which they sleep. And they set an example the average human teenager would find tough to follow as chimp forest nests contain fewer body bacteria shed by faeces and skin than beds in most human households.

US PHD student Megan Thoemmes, from North Carolina State University, led a team collecting swab samples from 41 chimpanzee nests in the Issa Valley, Tanzania. Researchers found the chimp nests had a much greater variety of bugs in their beds compared to human beds – a finding that was not unexpected in tropical forests.

However, they were far less likely to harbour “dirty” faecal, oral or skin bacteria, the study found.