Ontelly

Life - Primates

Logo for Life - Primates

Primates are just like humans - intelligent, quarrelsome, family-centred. Huge armies of Hamadryas baboons, 400 strong, battle on the plains of Ethiopia to steal females and settle old scores. Japanese macaques in Japan beat the cold by lounging in thermal springs, but only if they come from the right family. An orang-utan baby fails in its struggle to make an umbrella out of leaves to keep off the rain. Young capuchins can't quite get the hang of smashing nuts with a large rock, a technique their parents have perfected. Chimpanzees, humans' closest relatives, have created an entire tool kit to get their food.