Refusing to wait for the aid of bi-pedal liberators, 8 capuchin monkeys took matters into their own hands and broke out of a Brazilian zoo. The monkeys utilized a rock to smash open the lock on their cage and made a break for it under cover of darkness.
Apparently this isn't the first time monkeys have tried to escape the small community zoo, but workers say using a stone tool has been their most surprising and effective method yet. Unfortunately 4 of the monkeys have been recaptured. 3 of them were caught using traps baited with fruit. The 4th monkey was captured after it broke into a restaurant. "It was a surprise because this isn't the jungle here, and to have a monkey enter my establishment," said the restaurant owner. "It was fun."
According to an article posted on treehugger.com on the incident, "Capuchin monkeys are thought to be the most intelligent of the New World monkeys, exhibiting a remarkable ability to use stone tools. Researchers have observed capuchins in the wild gathering rocks, often collected from great distances away, to help them to crack open hard nuts. This skill is passed on as younger monkeys learn by watching their elders. "Applying this same tool usage to the novel task of breaking locks, however, indicates an extraordinary use of logic to solve the unnatural dilemma of their captivity. But what's more, perhaps, is the fundamental desire which guided their actions: the longing to be free."
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1 comment:
Great blog, Noel.
I often find zoos a difficult issue. On one hand I wish to promote the public understanding of nature in hope that will bring more respect to our planet.
But on the other, I find the idea of such animals caged horrific. I wonder if Longleat and similar have reached an acceptable moral middle ground. Or if that middle ground exists at all.
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