[cabbage]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8962000/8962747.stm

Apparently some chimps in Guinea have learned how to spot wire snares set in the rainforest to catch bushmeat. Not only that but some individuals have worked out how to destroy the snares without endangering themselves and now actively set out to find the traps and break them! They've realised that the dangerous part is the wire and by staying clear of it they can smash the wooden parts of the trap in safety.

The scientists studying the behaviour believe that these chimps actually sat and studied the traps analysing how to safely deactivate them, rather than just using a brute force trial and error approach - which would have been very dangerous to the chimp doing the experimenting!

Pretty amazing and well done those pioneering chimps.

Of course no doubt the hunters will be just as ingenious and change their methods. I've got mixed feelings on the issue, I hate the idea but I can't condemn people from a poor country setting snares and exploiting wildlife when we did - and are still doing - the exact the same thing here.

[LoveMyBirds]

This is why I consistently tell my friends and family that ALL animals are amazing. Although we're [humans] the dominant species, we fail to realize just how intellectual and brilliant other species are. Another thing to be mentioned are the closely related traits of apes and humans. Apes utilize logic -- a highly coveted trait amongst most species that we ourselves HAVE. The fact that these apes were able to figure out how to eliminate traps without harming themselves is proof of evolution. Plain and simple!

[cabbage]

It certainly shows theres some real bright sparks out there in the animal kingdom.

I love these examples of non human thinking and tool use, from Spiders setting traps to Squirrels working out how to beat birdfeeders and even Crows learning how to make a tool to fish food out of places they can't get to. Fascinating stuff.

[stacey2010]

Chimps are realling intelligent animals. Most monkeys are, arn't they?

[cabbage]

Chimps are realling intelligent animals. Most monkeys are, arn't they?

A relative of mine and her two year old son visited Edinburgh Zoo earlier this year. Stirling University run 'living links' a primate research 'exhibit' featuring Capuchin monkeys there. They invited her wee boy to compare his intelligence to the monkeys via some visual tests and I'm afraid to say he came a distant second Not sure what that proves though

[Michael T]

with evidence like this it amazes me how some people still see animals as being stupid, yes there are animals out there that arent exactly einstein in animals form but the same is with the human species , when news like this comes up it just makes me smile and wonder whats going through the animals mind. but more specifically with the chimps learning to break the snares, i really hope that they continue to do so and to teach others to aswell because as well as cabbage i too dont condemn the hunters who NEED to hunt, but its the people that do it out of shear "pleasure" that make me angry. i read a book by gerald Durrell last night and in it was how wildlife had developed and prospered, he also mentioned how nature had been fairly peaceful in the way of species. he did however go on to mention how no other animal had stepped out of its rightful place, we humans however have and it is having tragic consequences.

[cabbage]

with evidence like this it amazes me how some people still see animals as being stupid, yes there are animals out there that arent exactly einstein in animals form but the same is with the human species

I think there's a fairly good chance I could be outwitted by a chimp in most situations

http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9422000/9422157.stm

Theres another atricle about clever primates here - Macaques in this case -, apparently they can recognise their friends in photos. i find that fascinating implying a sort of intelligence I would never have associated with an animal

I also loved this project http://chimpcam.com/. It features a group of chimpanzees from my local zoo (Edinburgh Zoo) who were given a camera in order to film their very own documentary for a research project. Unfortunately the project coincided with a power struggle within the group which distracted the chimps from their film-making duties somewhat but it was still absolutely amazing stuff to watch. There was a documentary on BBC2 about it which may still be available somewhere.