Gorilla

Gorilla gorilla

Intelligence

Gorillas are closely related to humans and are considered highly intelligent. A few individuals in captivity, such as Koko, have been taught a subset of sign language (see animal language for a discussion).

Related Topics:
Koko - Sign language - Animal language

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Tool use

The following observations were made by a team led by Thomas Breuer of the Wildlife Conservation Society in September 2005. Gorillas are now known to use tools in the wild. A female gorilla in the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in the Republic of Congo was recorded using a stick to gauge the depth of water whilst crossing a swamp. A second female was seen using a tree stump as a bridge and also as a support whilst fishing in the swamp. This means that all of the great apes are now known to use tools. http://biology.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.0030380.

Related Topics:
2005 - Tool - Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park - Republic of Congo - Swamp - Great ape

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