Animals | Self | Conservation
The First Chimp “War” And Why They Make Horrible Pets
You can learn a lot about yourself by looking to nature, and up into the trees.
In 1932, a psychologist adopted a young chimpanzee — and raised it alongside her baby boy. His goal was to see if it could grow to behave and think like a human.
Eventually, the chimp hit a cognitive wall. There was no amount of training or encouragement that could get it past that wall. In the years since, so many incredible chimp experiments have revealed insights into human nature.
There’s been much chimp buzz recently after the release of Netflix’s docuseries, Chimp Empire.
The show’s story of intergroup warfare has its roots in a groundbreaking study by Jane Goodall — and it has shocking parallels to our own nature. It also reminds us of why they make for a terrible pet.
War of the Apes
It was long believed that humans are the only mammals that engage in war — at least in the way that we do, with all its maladies intact.
Perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising that this notion was challenged by our closest relatives, chimpanzees. In fact, many scientists argue that chimps are on a similar…
