Chimpanzees are intelligent, and it's classic in primates that when there is a new innovation, particularly in terms of tool use, the younger generations pick it up very quickly. Now it seems that they are even using wooden spears to hunt for food!Chimpanzees in Senegal have been observed making and using wooden spears to hunt other primates, according to a study in the journal Current Biology.
Researchers documented 22 cases of chimps fashioning tools to jab at smaller primates sheltering in cavities of hollow branches or tree trunks.
Chimps had not been previously observed hunting other animals with tools.
Chimpanzees were observed jabbing the spears into hollow trunks or branches, over and over again. After the chimp removed the tool, it would frequently smell or lick it.
In the vast majority of cases, the chimps used the tools in the manner of a spear, not as probes. The researchers say they were using enough force to injure an animal that may have been hiding inside.
Link & Image: BBC
Tags: Chimpanzees | Hunt | Spear
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