Zoo chimp 'planned' stone attacks

http://news.bbc.co.uk/ ^

[Oratam]

Crucial to the current study is the fact that Santino, a chimpanzee at the zoo in the city north of Stockholm, collected the stones in a calm state, prior to the zoo opening in the morning.

The launching of the stones occurred hours later - during dominance displays to zoo visitors - with Santino in an "agitated" state.

If Santino had a war-time consiglieri he wouldn't be in this mess.
"Papa had Genco; look what I got!"

[I Buried My Guns]

Well, I just hope your gathered your ammo while in a calm state, in preparation for the inevitable upcoming agitated state.

I have seen you guys' crazy shooting photos on Photobucket, which I guess is the human equivalent of flinging poo. Too Fun.

[houeto]

Has chimps in his head. That can't be good.

Nothing, and I mean NOTHING gets past the scrutiny of FReepers.

[Red in Blue PA]

That’s what I call a happy ending!

[oldfart]

Does that mean Obama has no stones?

[TexasRepublic]

Nuke the chimps. :-)

[adorno]

Keepers at Furuvik Zoo found that the chimp collected and stored stones that he would later use as missiles.

What's the big deal about that?!?!

Even democrats do that before every demonstration.

[jimt]

There has been scant evidence in previous research that animals can plan for future events.

I had a dog who did.

Mike was a wonderful little dog, but had an unfortunate bad habit. He'd occasionally dig holes. After having twisted my ankle in them a few times I decided this had to stop.

On the occasions when he did dig, I'd haul him out into the yard to the site of the hole and paddle him enough that he new for sure I was displeased.

One day I came home and Mike was unusually ingratiating. Thsi went beyond the happy greeting your dog gives you. He came up to the chair where I was sitting and put his nose between my leg and the side of the chair, and wiggled in, tail wagging. I petted him, set him back on the floor, and he repeated it, all the while with a funny look on his face.

I began thinking "What the heck..." and then thought "Aha !"

Went outside, and sure enough, holes.

1) He did something he knew he wasn't supposed to do.
2) He remembered it later.
3) He knew a paddling was due because of 1).
4) He tried to ameliorate the problem by being unusually ingratiating.

Don't tell me animals don't think. Some think pretty well.

[Mila]

"I don’t blame the poor guy, I’d be mad too, if I was locked up and people came to stare at me. I hate zoos."

When I read the article I found myself feeling very sorry for the chimp for most of the same reasons that you express in your post.

[wardaddy]

is it legal to abort chimp babies?

[Ezekiel]

Hatred for Jews in Malmö, Sweden

Palesimians on parade.

[sheik yerbouty]

They should be housed in the tigers’ cages..with the tigers..

[VeritatisSplendor]

The point is that these scientists are in a mad rush to prove that the human mind isn’t really so great after all.

That is illogical. How great a human mind is does not depend on properties of chimp minds.

It is a dangerous temptation to judge yourself based on how superior you are to others rather than on objective qualities of yourself, as I always tell my kids.