Chimps.

WASHINGTON, Jan 23, 2013 (AFP) - The National Institutes of Health, America's foremost medical research agency, said Wednesday it no longer would fund studies involving chimpanzees, as it prepares to revise its policies on using the primates. The NIH said it also plans to review all ongoing studies using chimpanzees, although such projects already are rare. Of the 94,000 NIH-funded projects in 2011, only 53 used the primates. "While used very selectively and in limited numbers for medical research, chimpanzees have served an ...

Visits to the zoo offer us a chance to see wild animals up close, but what we don't always see is the true nature of these creatures. Living in exhibits, these animals aren't exposed to all the excitement and threats that the open world offers, but sometimes there is an occasional surprise. Recently at the St. Louis Zoo, a raccoon somehow wiggled its way into the chimpanzee enclosure. Without the wall of glass as protection, the raccoon saw firsthand the wilder side of these animals. The primates react to their vistor with the rough play they are genetically predisposed to. Aware this crowd may be too rough for him, the raccoon works on making a quick exit before things become too ...

Here's a trick you won't see your dog do. According to the (U.K.) Daily Mail, Kanzi the bonobo has discovered how to create tools in order to obtain food. He is considered one of the most advanced animals alive, having already shown an understanding of human language and communication. Even with these successes, Kanzi's most recent step toward humanity amazed researchers at his home at the Great Ape Trust in Iowa. Scientists say Kanzi's creation and use of stone tools is similar to the path of early humans. Kanzi demonstrated his new ...