In the Senegalese Savannah camp called Fongoli, there are a group of chimpanzees that spend less time in trees and more on the ground, and this has had some interesting effects.
If it was hot out, wouldn't you consider taking respite in a cool cave or a dip in a nice pond? You wouldn't be alone--if you were at Fongoli you'd have some chimp pals to horse around with (and totally not be beaten up by). They've been seen chilling out in a nearby cave of hot days as well as playing around in the pond.
Now, the chimps at Fongoli also have been seen using the twig/termite fishing pole style of food acquisition. For those unfamiliar with this remarkable advancement, smart and hungry primates clear off a twig's leaves and stick it down a termite hole. The termites then attack it, and the intrepid ape pulls out a stick covered in termites and slurps them down. Then it's back to fishing.
In Fongoli, the chimpanzees, ever fond of bush baby meat (monkeys, either baby or full grown), have begun sharpening large sticks with their teeth and then thrusting them into the hollows of trees in an effort to kill a monkey. Easy meal. They're making spears.
The scientists said they'd have been satisfied with making any one of the three observations: caves, ponds, or spears, but to get all three?
It's looking like the Renaissance for the chimpanzees at Fongoli.
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