Chimpstagram: video of ape browsing app goes viral - but what is going on?

[Judi Lynn]

The internet has been captivated by Sugriva and her use of Instagram, but some animal experts haven’t been so impressed

Oliver Milman in New York

@olliemilman
Thu 2 May 2019 01.00 EDT

Chimpanzees are known to use at least 22 types of tools in the wild but in captivity a less rudimentary device now appears to be within ape capabilities – Instagram.

Last week, a video showing a chimpanzee casually swiping through Instagram on a smartphone was posted on the photo-sharing application by Kody Antle, son of Mahamayavi Bhagavan “Doc” Antle, who is founder of Myrtle Beach Safari, a 50-acre wildlife reserve in South Carolina.

The post showed the chimp, named Sugriva according to Antle’s caption, scrolling through pictures and tapping on a video showing the animal leaping into the arms of Mike Holston, an American former professional football player, who now posts videos of various exotic animals on social media under the moniker The Real Tarzann (sic).

The video highlighted the curiosity and adaptive nature of chimps, which share 99% of their DNA with humans, making them our closest living relatives in the natural world.

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/02/instagram-chimp-video-ape-browsing-app-goes-viral

[Duppers]

1. Wow! Very impressive!!

"...one 22 year-old chimp called Panzee managed to outperform 12 children and four adults on a complex maze in a virtual-reality game. The apes can also learn to use tools spontaneously, without watching others first, and appear to solve puzzles for fun, even without getting any sort of reward."

Thanks, Judi Lynn!

[Judi Lynn]

2. So much we don't know. Surprises every day! Thank you, Duppers. n/t