“Aww, see how human they are”: Chimps make weapons
Friday, February 23rd, 2007An anthropological team in Senegal has reported new observations (Current Biology: Savanna Chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes verus, Hunt with Tools), published yesterday, of chimps they have been studying and earning the trust of since 2001. The chimps were repeatedly observed stripping the branches from straight sticks about a meter long, and sharpening the ends to form point-tipped spears. The Senegalese chimps then used the spears to stab the hollows of trees, where bush babies sleep during the day. A successfully skewered bush baby could then be eaten.
