Humans love having pets. Seems like some other primates do, too
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Scientists examined 427 interspecies interactions across 88 primate species, and found that every primate, regardless of species, held some behaviour that could be linked to pet-keeping.
PHOTO: NEIL CHALLIS/NYTIMES
Taylor Mitchell Brown
- Researchers observed chimpanzees gently caring for other species, suggesting early forms of pet-keeping may exist among primates.
- A study collected 427 instances of primates interacting with different animals, showing behaviours like play, grooming, and adoption-like bonds.
- These interspecies bonds may arise from social needs like loneliness and could help improve multi-species management in zoos and sanctuaries.
AI generated
Ishe and Dembe, two young eastern chimpanzees, were leaping from branch to branch in the dense jungle canopy of a reserve in Uganda when the chimps surprised watching researchers.
The pair approached a nearby red-tailed monkey, not with aggression, as is common in chimpanzees, but with caresses. Ishe and Dembe began calmly combing the monkey’s tail.