Chimpanzees craft tools to fish for termites

Nature
Chimpanzees craft tools to fish for termites

Chimpanzees ingeniously modify sticks into precise tools to extract termites, a learned behavior passed down through generations that reveals advanced problem-solving and cultural transmission in the animal kingdom.

Chimpanzees, our closest living relatives, show impressive intelligence by crafting sticks into tools to "fish" for termites. They select a suitable twig, strip its leaves, and often chew one end to create a more effective probe. This modified stick is then inserted into termite mounds, allowing the chimpanzee to harvest a nutritious meal. Jane Goodall first documented this behavior in 1960, revolutionizing our understanding of animal intelligence.

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