If you’ve ever taken interest in the brain power of other animals, then no doubt you’ve read about how smart chimps are. If there’s one thing they’re widely known for, it’s their intelligence.
Chimps are no simple, dumb animals relying on instinct.
They can use tools, they develop simple cultures, and they can recognize their reflections in mirrors.
It wasn’t always widespread knowledge that chimps are smart and social.
It was thanks to Dr. Jane Goodall’s work in the 60’s that brought things to the public eye.
For centuries, zoologists already had some idea of how smart other primates are. But these were mostly simple observations.
And we had no clue just how much smarter chimps are compared to other primates.
That would require more rigorous observation.
But chimps aren’t safe to just sit around. Getting close to observe a smaller primate species may be simple, but chimpanzees are much larger and more unpredictable.
And they can be dangerous too when provoked or threatened. Chimps are much stronger than a grown man, and no researcher wants to be near one when it gets agitated.
Dr. Jane Goodall got lucky with the chimps she was observing in Gombe Stream National Park, in the year 1960.
The first chimp she ran into was the dominant male of the troop, and he trusted her.
And since he called the shots among his troop, he allowed Goodall to hang around them. The other chimps saw him being chill with her, so they followed his example.
It was here that Goodall noticed they were so much smarter than scientists had previously known.
They were using blades of grass to get ants out of anthills – like simple tools.
This was a game-changer to primate researchers like Goodall. For the time, it was thought that only man engaged in tool use.
And chimpanzees show notable emotional intelligence too, like this mother chimp here.
This chimpanzee hasn’t seen her baby in 2 days. Though you may not tell right away, she misses it badly as we’ll soon see.
It’s no surprise that the animals we see emotions in all happen to be on the intelligent side.
Brain power has a lot of evolutionary advantages, like being more protective of your young.
And the people at this facility placed the baby in an enclosure to reunite it with its momma, presumably after they nursed and observed it for a while.
Of course, mama chimp was ecstatic to see her infant again.
That sudden burst of joy is unmistakably that of a mother’s love. That kind of love isn’t unique to us humans, as you can clearly see.
There’s a few seconds where she isn’t sure what she’s looking at first. Could be any other chimp’s baby, but when the infant’s hands came up, there was no doubt anymore.
Mama chimp grabbed her gently and took it into her arms, holding it with a very intense “I missed you” in her body language.
It goes to show how we should be rethinking our relationship with the natural world, and why wildlife like this is so invaluable.
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