serverandenforcer 33 Posted March 10, 2009 STOCKHOLM - A canny chimpanzee who calmly collected a stash of rocks and then hurled them at zoo visitors in fits of rage has confirmed that apes can plan ahead just like humans, a Swedish study said Monday. Santino the chimpanzee's anti-social behavior stunned both visitors and keepers at the Furuvik Zoo but fascinated researchers because it was so carefully prepared. According to a report in the journal Current Biology, the 31-year-old alpha male started building his weapons cache in the morning before the zoo opened, collecting rocks and knocking out disks from concrete boulders inside his enclosure. He waited until around midday before he unleashed a "hailstorm" of rocks against visitors, the study said. "These observations convincingly show that our fellow apes do consider the future in a very complex way," said the author of the report, Lund University Ph.D. student Mathias Osvath. "It implies that they have a highly developed consciousness, including lifelike mental simulations of potential events." Osvath's findings were based on his own observations of Santino and interviews with three senior caretakers who had followed the chimpanzee's behavior for 10 years at the zoo in Furuvik, about 93 miles (150 kilometers) north of Stockholm. Seemingly at ease with his position as leader of the group, Santino didn't attack the other chimpanzees, Osvath told The Associated Press. The attacks were only directed at humans viewing the apes across the moat surrounding the island compound where they were held. However, he rarely hit visitors because of his poor aim, and no one was seriously injured in the cases when he did, Osvath said. The observations confirmed the result of a staged laboratory experiment reported in 2006 by scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany. In that case orangutans and bonobos were able to figure out which tool would work in an effort to retrieve grapes, and were able to remember to bring that tool along hours later. "Every time you can combine experimental and observational data and you get a consistent result, that is very powerful," said an author of the 2006 study, Joseph Call. "This is an important observation." He noted that individual differences are big among chimpanzees so the observation might not mean all chimpanzees are capable of the same planning. "It could be that he is a genius, only more research will tell. On the other hand our research showed the same in orangutans and bonobos so he is not alone," Call said. Osvath said the chimpanzee had also been observed tapping on concrete boulders in the park to identify weak parts and then knocking out a piece. If it was too big for throwing, he broke it into smaller pieces, before adding them to his arsenal. "It is very special that he first realizes that he can make these and then plans on how to use them," Osvath said. "This is more complex than what has been showed before." The fact that the ape stayed calm while preparing his weapons but used them when he was extremely agitated proves that the planning behavior was not based on an immediate emotional drive, Osvath said. For a while, zoo keepers tried locking Santino up in the morning so he couldn't collect ammunition for his assaults, but he remained aggressive. They ultimately decided to castrate him in the autumn last year, but will have to wait until the summer to see if that helps. The chimpanzees are only kept outdoors between April and October and Santino's special behavior usually occurs in June and July. "It is normal behavior for alpha males to want to influence their surroundings ... It is extremely frustrating for him that there are people out of his reach who are pointing at him and laughing," Osvath said. "It cannot be good to be so furious all the time." In Connecticut last month, a 200-pound pet chimpanzee once seen in TV commercials mauled a woman trying to help its owner lure it inside and cornered a police officer in his cruiser before he shot and killed it, authorities said The owner has speculated that the chimp was trying to protect her and attacked the woman because she had changed her hairstyle, was driving a different car and was holding a stuffed toy in front of her face to get the chimp's attention. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SayethWhaaaa 245 Posted March 10, 2009 I heard about this on the Beeb this morning too! Cagey mofo, innhe? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
serverandenforcer 33 Posted March 10, 2009 I got a kick out of it when they called it his "weapons cache". I guess chimpanzees are the latest threat in the war on terror. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ONETINSOLDIER 2 Posted March 10, 2009 all too soon we forget the image of the monkey and the bone and the moment of realisation he has in the movie "2001, a space odyssey" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JediMaster 451 Posted March 10, 2009 Wait, are you saying the Taliban are NOT chimps? Funny, I thought they were... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
serverandenforcer 33 Posted March 10, 2009 Wait, are you saying the Taliban are NOT chimps? Funny, I thought they were... Calling them chimps is too complimenting. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
super61 0 Posted March 11, 2009 "They ultimately decided to castrate him in the autumn last year..." A sad euphemism for any male nowadays. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lexx_Luthor 57 Posted March 11, 2009 The analogy to this chimp story has been made about Wal Mart's dwindling pile of 9mm stones 45 rocks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
serverandenforcer 33 Posted March 11, 2009 "They ultimately decided to castrate him in the autumn last year..." So, are they saying that it takes b@$#s to fight back? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
firehawkordy 34 Posted March 12, 2009 "They ultimately decided to castrate him in the autumn last year..." Ought to do that to any Taliban "Fighter" caught with a weapon. That should help counter gorilla warfare Besides the chimp in Connecticut there was the guy that had his face and gonads bitten off by a chimp in California a couple of years ago. It took two magazines of .45 ammo to kill it, and the second mag actually had special loads just for the apes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
serverandenforcer 33 Posted March 12, 2009 Besides the chimp in Connecticut there was the guy that had his face and gonads bitten off by a chimp in California a couple of years ago. It took two magazines of .45 ammo to kill it, and the second mag actually had special loads just for the apes. Yeah, when those guys are pissed, they mean business and it takes a lot to take 'em down. Would make darn good cannon fodder in war if they could get trained up in weapon operations and combat tactics. Animal rights groups might have a bit of a problem with it though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GwynO 16 Posted March 12, 2009 That reminded me! Ages ago, my mate who was living in Liverpool at the time, walking down the Albert Dock he tells me of a plan he would enact had he the money. To "train" a silverback gorilla by means of an electronic shock collar or gonad clamp, possibly combination of both. With the correct combination of sign language, verbal commands and the remote control, said gorilla would enter a near vertiginous rage and unleash from an M-16 on any opponent threatening his owner. He would be fully trained to dress in tails and bo-tie, mix mohitos and chauffer the Rolls! Needless to say, nothing ever came of that plan. Twycross Zoo claimed it would be against their adoption program ethos. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Jug 99 Posted March 12, 2009 Yeah, when those guys are pissed, they mean business and it takes a lot to take 'em down. Would make darn good cannon fodder in war if they could get trained up in weapon operations and combat tactics. Animal rights groups might have a bit of a problem with it though. We could train them as combat teams, one chimp (or more) to one animal rights activist (or more). Then they would all be more effective at what they do. They could nuzzle in the night and look after each other on the field of combat. We could call them the "Bozo" Teams or the "Rock" squads. The activists could get some special training on "human shields" from Sean Penn, patriotism from Jane Fonda, and communications from Sylvester Stallone. If they don't strike terror in the hearts of our enemies, I don't know what would. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Gunrunner 314 Posted March 12, 2009 They would be wonderful ! Imagine that... The activist in front, haggard, stumbling on the battlefield, yelling, half-panicked "stop ! stop firing ! we come in peace, we mean no harm, don't kill the poor creatures !" and while the enemy's laughing, they don't notice the chimps getting closer and closer, ready to tear them apart... Delicious idea. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
charlielima 328 Posted March 13, 2009 Splendid Ideas! :ph34r: CL Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Joe SharpShooter Posted May 1, 2009 I read somewhere here in this site, Wrench or an other moderators said that we must not deal/talk/post anything POLITICS and RELIGIONS here. Why there r still posting touching on Mumbai terror etc? I agree with Wrench. We just share our thoughts etc re the GAME. If we wan to get involved in politics, relious affairs etc., kindly do it properly in some other more appropriate sites/Blogs. use tin my friendship with other members/moderators here just because we discuss such topics. For instance, I have a PAGE in a very famous homepage, now reached 12040 something viewers/readers of my own page (I share my Worldviews on various touchy subjects that many r felt discourage to discuss). I do not even want to inform anyone/members here where my Page and My Profile is, for fear that our amicable relations r affected. Definitely, we -- old and yound, I am 55 now not young anymore, yet I am not retire yet. I retired when I am BURIED folks --hold different point of views in religions, politics and cultures, etc. Such difference coud really ruin our friendship, especially when we lack maturity in thinking. So, now; my questions: Especially to Wrench (S.O.S.) 1. I lost my SHIPS. Where r they as targets? I mean, ships whichever varians, belong to Israel (like, in HAIFA if any). 2. Wonder if other members have ever used, be as IF or Arab Nations fighters, the AGM-65B/A to obliterate bandits? How can I not be able to use it in WOE (the A-10s et F-4s)? They, the AGMs even refused to fire STILL enemy planes in there airbases? I did it ON-AIR (served as AA) n A-to-Ground Targets other than SAMs. 3. Why is the LOADOUT of the great F-16 Netz IAF is CLASSIFIED??? 4. I ACCIDENTLY put F-16_NETZ_Loadout.ini in my F-6Arabs.ini, that it can carry the super PYTHON3s!!! 5. I hardly benefited from using the WeaponEditor when it comes to doing Loadout. I am the to blame as I am still confused on how to use it properly. Like, when I wanted to save a weap, it ask whether to replaced the already available weapondata.ini in OJECT. So, I just cancel it. Since I stupidly accidently DLETED the Wepdata.ini from my OBJECT sub-folder. What happened is the end of the world! No weapons at all in my entire planes! So, classical solution. Just extract my previous, very goo one (I named it CURRENT) WOI file. And, they r back again. 6. Lastly; pls enlighten me: must I place the Weapondata.ini in (1) Weapon folder? or (2) OBJECT, and or (3) ..plane/fighter.ini as well? It's erratic, I cannot load the CBU-24C (cluster bombs) in my F-16Arab. Really LST one: How do we VALIDATE each weap???? I did not make any change for me at least. My sincere thanks for the response. And have a safe, wonderful weekend. And let's carry on dogfighting OK. Joe Equalizer! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
