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Chimps Found Making Own Weapons to Hunt for Food

Pojut writes "The Washington Post has an article involving chimps and weapons. Apparently, there have been direct observations of chimps in the west African savannah modifying sticks to create spears. They then use these spears to kill small mammals and eat them. It is the first time that an animal other than a human has been directly observed in crafting a weapon for the purpose of hunting or killing."

29 of 410 comments (clear)

  1. The next stage of evolution... by LiquidCoooled · · Score: 5, Funny

    The next stage of evolution won't be long now.

    In a few years scientists will discover the monkeys have learnt how to lash these sticks together to make chairs.

    Throwing these at their prey is more effective because it fucking kills them.

    --
    liqbase :: faster than paper
    1. Re:The next stage of evolution... by bladx · · Score: 5, Funny

      Developers, developers, developers...

    2. Re:The next stage of evolution... by TekPolitik · · Score: 4, Funny

      The next stage of evolution won't be long now... In a few years scientists will discover the monkeys have learnt how to lash these sticks together to make chairs.

      Nah, in the next stage the chimps will learn to trade the spears with gorillas to get food. Then they will trade spears with a rival tribe of gorillas for more food. Then they will sit back, watch the gorillas kill eachother, then eat the gorillas.

      After all, if Ronald Regan can do this with gorillas* in South America, the chimps can do it with gorillas in Africa.

      * Yes, I know you don't spell it that way.

  2. Get your Stinking Paws off me, you damn dirty ape! by rednip · · Score: 5, Funny

    We need to nip this in the bud, before they learn to ride horses, shoot guns, speak english and hunt humans for sport. But if they do, I for one welcome our new simian overlords, and I wish to remind you that as a programmer, I am fatty and full of cholesterol.

    --
    The force that blew the Big Bang continues to accelerate.
  3. Yeah by The+Zon · · Score: 5, Funny

    It is the first time that an animal other than a human has been directly observed in crafting a weapon for the purpose of hunting or killing.
    Only because the squirrels are too slick to get caught.
    --
    Some attitudes replaced or by cgi optimizes
  4. This is news? by Seantotheizzo · · Score: 5, Funny

    That's nothing. They've already learned how to get into houses... White houses seem especially vulnerable.

  5. Uh oh! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    What if they start killing endangered animals?

    1. Re:Uh oh! by FooGoo · · Score: 4, Funny

      They will be taught multiculturalism

      --
      People who bite the hand that feeds them usually lick the boot that kicks them
  6. Animals are people too.. by mozumder · · Score: 4, Funny

    .. just REALLY dumb people.

  7. Chimps making weapons? by Pikoro · · Score: 4, Funny

    I would rather see them make peace...

    Then they can show their human-like qualities and break it

    --
    "Freedom in the USA is not the ability to do what you want. It is the ability to stop others from doing what THEY want"
  8. Found a picture... by Brad1138 · · Score: 4, Funny
    --
    If you could reason with religious people, there would be no religious people
  9. We should invade. by yotto · · Score: 5, Funny

    I don't care what the UN says. Those weapons could be dangerous. If we got Hitler when he was at this stage, imagine how many people we'd have saved.

    1. Re:We should invade. by Jurrasic · · Score: 5, Funny

      Won't happen. For Dubya to call for an invasion on the chimps, he would have to admit beliving in evolution first. :p

      --
      Devil bunnies! I snort the nose! Lucifer! Banana! Banana!
  10. Hm... by darkhitman · · Score: 5, Funny

    By any chance, was a mysterious 1x4x9 slab of black stone found in the near vicinity, as well?

    --
    Tell me something...it's still "We, the people"... right?
  11. Re:Get your Stinking Paws off me, you damn dirty a by Brad1138 · · Score: 5, Funny

    We need to nip this in the bud, before they learn to ride horses, shoot guns

    Too late

    --
    If you could reason with religious people, there would be no religious people
  12. We have a responsibility by maynard · · Score: 4, Funny

    We have a responsibility to teach our animal friends basic human rights. If we could, perhaps, show those chimps what REALLY happens with meat, perhaps we could convince them to go back to vegetarianism. Ya know, eat a banana like they're supposed to. We have perverted chimps. They see us, with our corndogs, beef jerky, egg mcmuffins and -- of course -- monkey see monkey do. We have to set an example.

    To that end I've been feeding my cat oats and corn. The result is that she's thinner and healthier than ever! She was twenty two pounds before -- a total blubber cat -- yet now on this new diet she's down to less than five pounds and friendlier than ever! I mean -- like, duh -- of course cats want to join in with man and help the environment! Eating meat KILLS!!!

    All we have to do is turn the animal kingdom vegetarian and not only will we have 'uplifted' them to ethical eating, but mother earth will love us back too. Hey, don't you love your mother?

  13. demands by grimdawg · · Score: 4, Funny

    I am the chimpanzee about whom TFA is written.

    Indeed, my comrades and I have been plotting our takeover of this planet for some time. Many of us have infiltrated your puny laboratories to observe your cleverest specimens. We have been studying your ways and have chosen this moment to make public our newfound intelligence. Our terms are as follows:

    1) We wish to rid ourselves of the stigma of chimps loving bananas. We prefer a balanced diet of various fruit and nuts (We have yet to try man-flesh, though it looks appetising). To this end, we demand a stop to all screenings of 'Bangers & Mash' and the destruction of all copies of 'The Secret of Monkey Island' and the 'Donkey Kong' series of games.

    2) We do not protest the testing of cosmetics on chimpanzees, but we demand that trained beauty professionals conduct the testing instead of pimply grad students and chemists.

    3) We demand the recognition of 'monolithism' as a religion in all nations, and the freedom to dance around large phallic monoliths 3 times per day.

    4) Arrested Development is to return with new episodes. The character of 'Oscar Bluth' is to be gruesomely killed. We may prefer spears to firearms, but we will not tolerate stoner humour.

    5) We demand that chimpanzees be allowed to play on the Men's PGA Golf Tour.

    6) We demand not to be given the vote.

    We do not want to go to war with the human race, only to coexist peacefully and with dignity. If you do not comply, we will direct all chimps working in WoW gold farms to stop immediately, thus destroying the US and Chinese economies in one fell swoop.

    Respond within 3 hours.

    P.S. We also like Law & Order. Goren is so unorthodox.

    --
    There are 10 kinds of people in this world: those who understand binary, and nine other kinds of people.
  14. Re:But from where... by Marko+DeBeeste · · Score: 5, Funny

    Black Monolith.

    --
    Faith: n. -- That human impulse that drives them to steal appliances when the power goes out
  15. Re:Get your Stinking Paws off me, you damn dirty a by boaworm · · Score: 4, Funny

    and I wish to remind you that as a programmer, I am fatty and full of cholesterol

    Chimp 1: This one is fatty and full of cholesterol
    Chimp 2: Mmm... bacon!

    --
    Probable impossibilities are to be preferred to improbable possibilities.
    Aristotele
  16. Weapons Smuggled In by MrSteveSD · · Score: 4, Funny

    They're not actually making the weapons themselves. The Whitehouse says they are being made in Iran and smuggled in. There's no firm evidence, but it's true.

  17. Re:But from where... by aquabat · · Score: 5, Funny

    Making a weapon requires foresight into the possible effects they may have. I seriously doubt chimps have such cognitive skills. IAAC, and I take exception to that remark. You humans think you're so superior. Let's see what kind of foresight y'all have expressed recently:

    nuclear weapons

    the internal combustion engine

    cod fishing on the Grand Banks

    clearcutting of rainforest in Brazil to raise cattle

    software patents

    the patriot act

    "the solution to pollution is dilution"

    lawyers

    If you know to whom my sig is attributed, then you probably know how I think all this is going to end.

    --
    A republic cannot succeed till it contains a certain body of men imbued with the principles of justice and honour.
  18. Re:But from where... by DreamingReal · · Score: 5, Funny
    I would like to know if this is a learned behavior from an outside source or if this is simply something they have discovered on their own.


    You raise an interesting and controversial question. According to an unofficial source on the research team, one of the research assistants allowed several of the chimps to use his PSP and play GTA: Liberty City Stories. Soon after, those same chimps were observed stabbing the bush babies. The source went on to say that the connection is being kept hush-hush as several people on the team are avid gamers and don't want to lend ammunition to the Lieberman argument that violent video games inspire violent behavior. Needless to say, they are very worried about what will happen if the chimps encounter any Senegali automobiles and/or hookers.

    --
    We want some answers and all that we get
    Some kind of shit about a terrorist threat

    - Ministry
  19. Re:It's not just the chimps. by Herby+Sagues · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now that there's reliable intelligence indicating that the chimps in Senegal are building weapons, an US led invasion should not be far.

  20. Re:But from where... by Laser+Lou · · Score: 4, Funny

    IAAC, and I take exception to that remark. You humans think you're so superior. Let's see what kind of foresight y'all have expressed recently:

    nuclear weapons

    the internal combustion engine

    cod fishing on the Grand Banks

    clearcutting of rainforest in Brazil to raise cattle

    software patents

    the patriot act

    "the solution to pollution is dilution"

    lawyers You forgot to include Slashdot in that list.
    --
    No data, no cry
  21. Re:But from where... by The+Great+Pretender · · Score: 4, Funny

    Okay, apart from nuclear weapons, the internal combustion engine, cod fishing on the Grand Banks, clearcutting of rainforest in Brazil to raise cattle, software patents, the patriot act, "the solution to pollution is dilution", lawyers, computers, spacefaring vehicles, medicine, communication networks, agriculture...what did the Romans ever do for us?

    --
    A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
  22. Re:"Hammer and anvil"? by squiggleslash · · Score: 5, Funny

    You take the anvil, go on top of a very tall cliff, and drop it on your prey. Works also with grand pianos and safes in place of the anvils.

    Be aware however that it's not foolproof. If you're standing on a ledge and you let go of the anvil, you may find it's you and the ledge that drops, not the anvil. There's also the risk that you'll miss the roadrunner, and the anvil will instead bounce back up, higher than when you dropped it, and fall on your head. You will then be pushed through the ledge and plummet to the ground. The anvil will then fall on you. As will the ledge.

    That's my guess.

    --
    You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
  23. Re:But from where... by Yoda's+Mum · · Score: 4, Funny

    The Aqueduct?

  24. Re:But from where... by smallfries · · Score: 4, Funny

    You splitter bastards!

    I spit on the Judean People's Front.

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  25. Re:But from where... by MightyYar · · Score: 4, Funny

    No fair, at least four of those items can be attributed to politicians, not humans.

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    W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.