Discover the animals that use spears to kill their prey
Do any primates use weapons to kill?
Did you know there are animals that use weapons to kill? The chimpanzees that live in the savannahs of Senegal are such animals.
There is considerably less food available in this arid habitat than in the forests occupied by other populations, so the great apes of the savannah have learned to fashion and use spears to take advantage of one particular prey item: the galagos (bush babies) that spend the day asleep in inaccessible tree holes.
Individuals snap off branches (usually about 75cm in length) and, after removing the leaves, sharpen the ends using their teeth.
A hunter then climbs towards a hole and thrusts its spear into the cavity, killing or severely wounding any dozing galago inside before pulling out its skewered quarry.
“Females, who hunt with spears more than males, can use these tools to hunt just as well but without the need to chase down prey,” says Jill Pruetz, director of the Fongoli Savanna Chimpanzee Project. “This not only saves energy but allows them to hunt with their babies in tow, which avoids leaving them alone and at risk from predation.”
- Discover the animals that use tools in surprising and clever ways – from primates and dolphins to birds and fish
- Crafty crows can create tools fit for purpose
- Humpback whales actually make and use tools for hunting, finds new study. And it’s utterly mesmerising to watch…
- Early humans may have learnt something from capuchin monkeys