Tarzan's friends are a group of APES, specifically the Mangani great APES, which are a fictional species created by Edgar Rice Burroughs for his series of Tarzan novels. The Mangani are described as a species of ape intermediate between gorillas and chimpanzees, and are the only species of ape that can speak a language intelligible to humans. They are also known for their loyalty to Tarzan, and often help him in his adventures.