Gorillas disarm poachers snares in Africa

"It is the first time since African gorilla field research began more than 50 years ago that juvenile gorillas have ever been witnessed destroying snare traps, which are indiscriminately injuring and killing mountain gorillas."


"Today, two juveniles and one blackback from Kuryama's group worked together to deactivate two snares, and how they did it demonstrated an impressive cognitive skill."

Very cool story.
www.grindtv.com...





It's only my second thread, hope the format isn't too bad.

I read another story last year that said Dolphins may not be the smartest sea creatures, Octopus are proving to be very intelligent. They are able to solve complex puzzle boxes and retain the memory of how they finally got it open. They can be very playful and even develop crushes on aquarium workers.

One Octopus took an instant disliking to one intern and would squirt her when ever she came in the room. It never squirted anyone else and a year after she left she came by for a visit and the minute she walked in the room she was soaked.

We know so little about them, very interesting stuff.

reply to post by AGWskeptic


Thats pretty cool, seems that primates are getting smarter. I recall seeing a video some ago, it showed, I think an orangutan trying to spear a fish with a stick.

Good for the gorillas. Hopefully they can spread their knowledge.. but of course once the traps stop working the poachers will find a new way to catch them... (why do they poach them anyway?)

Humans getting dumber and apes schmarter? That reminds me of something

Originally posted by ReadyPower
Good for the gorillas. Hopefully they can spread their knowledge.. but of course once the traps stop working the poachers will find a new way to catch them... (why do they poach them anyway?)

They aren't trying to catch gorillas, they're just indescriminate. They set thousands of these snares along game trails.

When you're starving meat is meat.

Originally posted by SkullAndBeats235
Humans getting dumber and apes schmarter? That reminds me of something

Don't forget the post ap from awhile back on Fragile Earth about baboons raising stray puppies to be guard dogs for their family groups. They had somehow discovered having a family dog would give their clan advantages and protection from other clans so next thing you know, there's a bunch of monkey clans kidnapping feral dog pups and raising them to be guard dogs. I wonder if in the quote "the meek shall inherit the earth" the "meek" being referred to were one of the more intelligent animal species out there that we've been stepping all over all this time.

Next the gorillas will be re-setting them in different places and catching the poachers!

Wouldn't that be a laugh!

Wonderful topic, we went through a period in science when anthromorphism was considered a terrible thing, and imho we missed a great deal because of it. All nonhuman life is more intelligent than we in our arrogance give them credit for.
Way to go Gorilla's, makes me wonder what they must think of a species who do such things.

I agree about Octopus also very, very smart creatures, clever. My favorite sea creature!

For the thread

Originally posted by NuclearPaul
Next the gorillas will be re-setting them in different places and catching the poachers!

Wouldn't that be a laugh!

That would be hilarious.

A real life Planet of the Apes.


One of these days we'll wake up and realize that there are more sentient beings on Earth besides us.

I wouldnt be amazed OP if the animal life COLLECTIVE is being upgraded for some reason. nice find @least they are learning how to protect each other.

Originally posted by Iamschist
Wonderful topic, we went through a period in science when anthromorphism was considered a terrible thing, and imho we missed a great deal because of it. All nonhuman life is more intelligent than we in our arrogance give them credit for.
Way to go Gorilla's, makes me wonder what they must think of a species who do such things.

I agree about Octopus also very, very smart creatures, clever. My favorite sea creature!

For the thread

Found the article, think you'll enjoy it.

www.orionmagazine.org...

reply to post by AGWskeptic

Good, I am glad this awareness has settled in and will hopefully be shared and passed on to their offspring. Amazing really, for it breaks my heart that these creatures are killed for such petty reasons.
Ya might dig this thread too Wild Chimpanzees Are Learning To Outwit Human Hunters
For you primate fans, a little gorilla sentience, if you will

Peace,
spec

reply to post by AGWskeptic


Brilliant!!! Now someone teach them to use guns and fight back

reply to post by AGWskeptic


Many of the great apes are very intelligent.
Intelligence on par with a small child.
And let me tell you little kids are pretty darn smart.

Koko is a gorilla that was taught american sign language.
They claim her IQ is between 70-95.
Normal humans are around 100.

news.nationalgeographic.com...

Originally posted by AGWskeptic
I read another story last year that said Dolphins may not be the smartest sea creatures, Octopus are proving to be very intelligent. They are able to solve complex puzzle boxes and retain the memory of how they finally got it open. They can be very playful and even develop crushes on aquarium workers.

One Octopus took an instant disliking to one intern and would squirt her when ever she came in the room. It never squirted anyone else and a year after she left she came by for a visit and the minute she walked in the room she was soaked.

We know so little about them, very interesting stuff.

ALL animals have the capacity to be extremely intelligent.


don't get me wrong, everything also has the capacity to be stupid as well.


ever have that pet dog that was so dumb and goofy?

well the extreme opposite exists in all living things.

peace.

reply to post by AGWskeptic

Found the article, think you'll enjoy it. www.orionmagazine.org...

Thank you so much, that was so thoughtful of you! I loved the article. Athena is some kind of gal! I am so jealous that the Author was able to meet with her in such an intimate way. Much our minds are taken up with storing our experiences, since we live so long, and for words because we are so verbal. Additionally we only use a small percentage of the size and neurons we have. This makes us somewhat equal.

I loved where this quote is going.

So what does it feel like to be an octopus? Philosopher Godfrey-Smith has given this a great deal of thought, especially when he meets octopuses and their relatives, giant cuttlefish, on dives in his native Australia. “They come forward and look at you. They reach out to touch you with their arms,” he said. “It’s remarkable how little is known about them . . . but I could see it turning out that we have to change the way we think of the nature of the mind itself to take into account minds with less of a centralized self.” “I think consciousness comes in different flavors,” agrees Mather. “Some may have consciousness in a way we may not be able to imagine.

I love the fact that instead of recognizing it and avoiding the trap, they actually destroy it so the 'less intelligent' animals/apes are protected.
Makes me think that they have a sense of love and compassion for others, something that humans lack these days.

Gorillas, protectors of the forest!
Very cool!

reply to post by Ophiuchus 13

And the meek shall inherit the Earth.
Kinda makes you wonder, doesnt it

Gorillas 1 Idiotic Humans 0
I think the gorillas are much much smarter than the poachers realize, the gorillas are showing that they too can adapt, and overcome. I hope the Gorillas keep this trick in the bag, and pass the intellect onto their babies and so forth.