Chimpanzees Display Early Forms of Pet-Keeping in Ugandan Reserve

Researchers observing a dense jungle canopy in a Ugandan reserve recorded two young eastern chimpanzees, Ishe and Dembe, gently caressing and combing the tail of a red-tailed monkey. The behavior diverges from typical chimp aggression toward other primates and may represent an early stage of pet-keeping among non-human primates. The observations were reported in a recent article in the journal *Primates*.

New York Times

Pet-keeping has long puzzled scientists because it entails substantial resource investment without obvious survival benefits. The study adds to prior work suggesting that humans are not unique in forming caring relationships with other species. Earlier research has linked human pet ownership to factors such as companionship, novelty-seeking, and status, and even hinted at a genetic component. The chimpanzee interaction raises the possibility that the roots of caring for unrelated animals extend deeper into primate evolution.

New York Times

Behavioral ecologist Zoë Goldsborough of the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior notes that the behavior could reflect either utilitarian origins—such as hunting assistance—or an innate tendency to bond with other living beings. Psychologist Hal Herzog of Western Carolina University emphasizes the apparent evolutionary paradox of allocating resources to species with no direct fitness stake.

New York Times

• “Lavishing resources on members of other species we have no evolutionary stake in seems to make no evolutionary sense,” — Hal Herzog, a psychologist and animal expert at Western Carolina University

New York Times

• “There are theories that pet-keeping began either because animals were useful for tasks like hunting and protection or because humans have a natural tendency to care for and bond with other living beings,” — Zoë Goldsborough, a behavioral ecologist at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior

New York Times