A fascinating study out of Africa saw scientists place camera traps in the jungle habitats of various great ape species and, in turn, captured some truly remarkable reactions from the creatures to the devices. The purpose of the project was reportedly to see how different apes responded to unfamiliar objects in their native environment. In total, 14 camera traps were placed in different locations and captured 43 instances in which either a chimpanzee, bonobo, or gorilla spotted the technological interloper in their midst.
According to lead researcher Dr. Ammie Kalan, the study found that the responses of the three different species of ape varied considerably and produced some surprising results. Specifically, she noted that chimpanzees appeared to be largely disinterested in the camera traps, while bonobos often acted fearful of the devices and went out of their way to avoid them. Delving even deeper into how the creatures reacted, the scientists also observed that younger apes, as well as those which had little prior interaction with humans, were particularly intrigued by the camera traps.
Check out video of the different creatures reacting to the camera traps at the Coast to Coast AM website.