Chimps and the Art of Making Fishing Rods
Amazing Facets of Chimpanzee Behaviour Comes to Light
Facets of Chimp behaviour previously unknown to science are getting unraveled due to dedicated research in Congo Basin. The results are fascinating and should make us think twice before meddling with the habitat of denizens of the wild.
Chimps Using Tools
The discovery of a chimpanzee making and using a spear in Senegal, which appeared in journal Current Biology sometime back, was a revelation and added a new impetus to research on man’s nearest cousin. It astounded us and opened up new ways of looking at animal behaviour as a whole. To top all these here comes another piece of research on Chimps that is equally if not more interesting.
More Surprises
A team of researchers working in Congo has discovered that Chimps have mastered the art of making brush-tipped “fishing rods” to fish insects out of their nests. The frayed ends deliberately made by the animals helped them to get more insects with less effort. The scientists found that the frayed ends were not an accident. It was intentionally and carefully crafted. Crickette Sanz from the Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, led the study. Co- authors were Josep Call, from Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo and David Morgan from Wildlife Conservation Society, Congo Program.
How Chimps Fashion Implements
The Chimps started off by picking up stems of Marantaceae plant. Then they pulled the stem through their half closed teeth. The fibers were pulled apart at the end. This tool collected 10 times more insect than a straight probe. Now the researchers are on the look out to see whether the Chimps are crafting any other tools that have not come to their notice so far.
Ability to Paint
Chimps have been known to draw and paint. The famous Chimp Congo is a case in point. He was adept at drawing and painting. By the age of four, Congo had 400 drawings and paintings to his credit. He even made an appearance on the British television show Zootime. The credit for unraveling this ability pf Chimps to draw and paint goes to Zoologist Desmond Morris.
Can Chimps Think and Contemplate?
This brings up the question, can the Chimps think and contemplate? Jane Goodall and her Institute's videographer, Bill Wallauer have seen several events in which the Chimps seemed to ponder or consider the natural event to which they were reacting. Wallauer has said this could possibly be described as reverence to aspects of their environment and an indication that chimps have the capacity to contemplate and consider.
The Need to Conserve Chimps and Their Habitat
Chimp behaviour is so human-like. It is giving scientists astounding insights into the evolution of early humans, how they started using implements and the progress of it. Archeological evidences suggests that our hominid ancestors started using tools in hunting around 400,000 years ago and the spear, like the one used by Chimps, is exactly what they started off with. Scientists hope to unravel more mysteries in future.
According to the researchers we still have not unraveled the full behavioural complexities of Chimps. But the saddening fact is that the Chimps and their habitat are gradually vanishing. The Chimps are facing problems from logging, poaching and Ebola. It is in our own interest to protect the animal and its habitat. It is imperative that we conserve the habitat of the animal, which is under severe threat in many regions.
References
Design complexity in termite-fishing tools of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), Royal Society Publishing, Published online before print March 4, 2009.
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