Associated Press
02-22-07
Iowa State professor finds chimpanzees 'hunting' for food
DES MOINES, Iowa Do chimpanzees "hunt" for food?
An Iowa State University researcher has witnessed a chimp spearing another
creature for supper. But it's unclear if it was luck or an indication that chimps
have a more advanced ability to hunt.
Anthropology professor Jill Pruetz (pretz) witnesses the spearing of a
bushbaby in Senegal during research in the past two years.
In a study in the online version of the journal Current Biology, Pruetz documents
22 cases of chimps using spear-like tools to hunt bushbabies _ a small primate
that lives in hollow branches or tree trunks. But researchers only once saw a
chimp use a spear to pull a bushbaby out.
Pruetz says it's not uncommon for chimps to use tools, but to use them in the
context of hunting is rare.
Pruetz's study was funded by Iowa State and the National Geographic Society.