A particularly clever band of chimpanzees living in one area of the Congo basin have found a better way to fish for food in termite mounds.
Zoologists have long known that chimps eager for a tasty termite snack use a short stick, which is thrust into the termites' nest. The insects bite on the intruding probe and are then extracted and slurped down [AFP].
But chimps living in an area called the Goualougo Triangle in the Republic of Congo have been observed crafting more complex tools that increase their haul of insect morsels. Instead of using a simple pointed stick, lead researcher Crickette Sanz says these chimps modify their tools by making a special brush tip.
To make their rods, the chimps first picked some stems from the Marantaceae plant and plucked off the leaves. "They then pulled the herb stems through their teeth, which were partially closed, to make ...
