Scientists are abuzz about the implications of recent actions by Santino, an alpha male chimpanzee at the Furuvik Zoo north of Stockholm. Santino, agitated by crowds of zoo visitors pointing and laughing at him during the day, created caches of weapons – rocks and cement discs – which he would use to throw at onlookers.
At first zookeepers believed Santino’s aggression was spontaneous until his caretakers noticed he was building piles of stone during hours in which the zoo was closed. After performing surveillance on the chimpanzee, researchers believe that his actions indicate he is forecasting the presence of visitors and preparing projectiles as his way of trying to get them to move on.
Such behaviour – that is, the ability to predict and prepare for future events – was previously believed to be unique to humans. Such action requires a high level of cognitive ability and abstract thought many adults we know are shockingly incapable of…
Santino has since been castrated – his level of agitation has fallen and zookeepers report that he spends more of his time playing these days rather than plotting the demise of all humans.
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