Scientists Are Still Shocked by What Chimpanzees Can Do with Tools
For decades, humans believed that sophisticated tool use was a defining trait of our species. The ability to create, modify, and use tools was often cited as one of the clearest lines separating humans from the rest of the animal kingdom. Yet today, scientists are still shocked by what chimpanzees can do with tools, and the line between human and animal intelligence continues to blur.
Chimpanzees our closest living relatives have repeatedly demonstrated an astonishing capacity for problem-solving, innovation, cultural transmission, and foresight. From crafting fishing tools and sharpening spears to assembling multi-step toolkits, chimpanzees are rewriting what we thought we knew about intelligence in the wild.
Scientists Are Still Shocked by What Chimpanzees Can Do with Tools
This article explores the groundbreaking discoveries that continue to amaze researchers, how chimpanzee tool use compares to early human technology, and why these findings fundamentally challenge our understanding of evolution, cognition, and culture.
The Discovery That Changed Everything
In the early 1960s, primatologist Jane Goodall made an observation that stunned the scientific community. While studying chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National Park, she witnessed a chimp stripping leaves from a twig and inserting it into a termite mound to “fish” for insects.
At the time, tool use was considered uniquely human.
Goodall’s discovery forced scientists to confront an uncomfortable truth: either chimpanzees were using tools, or humans were no longer the only toolmakers. This moment marked the beginning of a scientific revolution, one that continues today as scientists are still shocked by what chimpanzees can do with tools in increasingly complex and unexpected ways.
What Counts as a Tool?
Before diving deeper, it is important to clarify what scientists mean by “tool use.”
A tool is generally defined as:
- An object detached from the environment
- Deliberately modified or selected
- Used to achieve a specific goal
Chimpanzees meet and often exceed this definition. They do not merely pick up random objects. They select materials based on function, modify them to improve efficiency, and use them strategically.
In some cases, chimpanzees even transport tools over long distances, indicating planning and foresight abilities once thought to be exclusively human.
The Astonishing Variety of Chimpanzee Tools
One reason scientists are still shocked by what chimpanzees can do with tools is the sheer diversity of tool types observed across different chimpanzee populations.
Termite Fishing Tools
Chimpanzees carefully choose flexible twigs, strip leaves, and adjust length depending on the depth of the termite mound. This behaviour requires:
- Material selection
- Modification
- Precision
- Patience
Different groups even use different techniques, suggesting cultural variation rather than instinct alone.
Nut-Cracking with Stone Hammers
In West Africa, chimpanzees use stones as hammers and anvils to crack open hard nuts. This behaviour involves:
- Selecting stones of appropriate weight
- Positioning nuts correctly
- Applying controlled force
Young chimps can take years to master this skill, learning through observation and practice remarkably similar to human apprenticeship.
Leaf Sponges for Drinking
When water is trapped in tree hollows, chimpanzees chew leaves into absorbent sponges. They then dip and squeeze the sponge into their mouths.
This demonstrates:
- Tool creation from raw materials
- Understanding of absorption
- Sequential problem-solving
Chimpanzees That Make Weapons
Perhaps the most shocking discovery of all is that chimpanzees do not just use tools, they sometimes make weapons.
In Senegal, researchers observed chimpanzees sharpening sticks with their teeth and using them as spears to hunt small mammals hiding in tree cavities.
This behaviour includes:
- Tool modification
- Anticipation of prey behaviour
- Purposeful weapon design
The fact that chimpanzees independently invented weapon use has profound implications for understanding the origins of human hunting technology.
It is no wonder scientists are still shocked by what chimpanzees can do with tools when such behaviours mirror early human innovation.
Multi-Tool Toolkits: Planning Ahead
Some chimpanzees assemble and use multiple tools in a specific sequence to achieve a goal.
For example, accessing honey from a beehive may require:
- A stick to puncture the hive
- A sturdier tool to widen the opening
- A flexible probe to extract honey
This kind of sequential tool use shows advanced cognitive abilities:
- Planning
- Memory
- Cause-and-effect reasoning
These are traits long associated with human intelligence.
Tool Use Is Cultural, Not Just Biological
One of the most fascinating aspects of chimpanzee tool use is that not all chimpanzees use the same tools even when living in similar environments.
Different communities have distinct “tool traditions,” passed down through social learning rather than genetics. This means chimpanzees have culture.
Young chimps learn by:
- Observing elders
- Imitating successful techniques
- Practicing repeatedly
When a knowledgeable individual dies, certain tool-using traditions can disappear entirely from that group.
This cultural transmission is a major reason scientist are still shocked by what chimpanzees can do with tools, as it parallels how human knowledge is shared across generations.
Comparing Chimpanzee Tools to Early Human Tools
When archaeologists compare chimpanzee tools with early hominin artifacts, the similarities are striking.
Shared Characteristics
Both chimpanzee and early human tools show:
- Functional design
- Material selection
- Wear patterns from repeated use
Some chimpanzee stone tools leave marks indistinguishable from early human tools, complicating archaeological interpretations.
Cognitive Overlap
The mental processes involved planning, innovation, learning, suggest that the roots of human technology may lie deeper in our evolutionary past than previously thought.
Chimpanzees provide a living window into how early humans may have first begun manipulating their environment.
Tool Use and Intelligence: Rethinking the Definition
For much of history, intelligence was measured by how closely an animal resembled human. Tool use was considered a key benchmark.
Now, as scientists are still shocked by what chimpanzees can do with tools, intelligence is being redefined as:
- Problem-solving ability
- Behavioural flexibility
- Social learning
- Innovation
Chimpanzees score highly in all these areas.
Some researchers even argue that chimpanzee intelligence is not “less than” human intelligence, but rather specialized for different ecological and social challenges.
Emotional Intelligence and Tool Use
Tool use does not exist in isolation. Chimpanzees combine technical skill with emotional and social intelligence.
They:
- Teach offspring indirectly through tolerance and demonstration
- Modify behaviour based on audience
- Share tools in some contexts
These behaviours suggest empathy, awareness of others’ knowledge, and cooperation qualities once thought uniquely human.
Why Scientists Keep Being Surprised
Despite decades of research, new discoveries continue to emerge. Why?
Long-Term Studies Reveal More
Chimpanzees live long lives and develop skills slowly. Only long-term observation reveals:
- Rare behaviours
- Seasonal tool use
- Learning curves
As studies extend over decades, researchers uncover deeper layers of complexity.
Improved Technology
Modern tools like motion-sensitive cameras, drones, and AI-assisted video analysis allow scientists to observe behaviours previously missed.
Each technological advance leads to new revelations and renewed shock.
What Chimpanzee Tool Use Tells Us About Ourselves
Understanding chimpanzee tool use is not just about them, it is about us.
Their abilities force us to confront difficult questions:
- What truly makes humans unique?
- Where did our intelligence originate?
- How much of human culture is shared with other species?
As scientists are still shocked by what chimpanzees can do with tools, we are reminded that humanity is not separate from nature, but deeply connected to it.
Conservation Implications: Why This Knowledge Matters
Chimpanzees are endangered. Habitat loss, poaching, and disease threaten their survival.
Protecting chimpanzees means protecting:
- Unique cultures
- Irreplaceable knowledge
- Insights into human evolution
When a chimpanzee community disappears, its tool traditions vanish forever.
Recognizing their intelligence strengthens the ethical argument for conservation and challenges us to rethink how we treat other sentient beings.
The Future of Chimpanzee Tool Research
The story is far from over.
Future research may reveal:
- Even more complex tool combinations
- New forms of teaching
- Deeper cultural differences between groups
Some scientists speculate that chimpanzees may already possess the cognitive foundation for technologies we have not yet observed.
Given what we already know, it is safe to say scientists are still shocked by what chimpanzees can do with tools and they will be for years to come.
Conclusion: A Humbling Revelation
Chimpanzees have forced science to rewrite its assumptions again and again. Their tool use is not simple, not instinctive, and not trivial. It is innovative, cultural, and deeply intelligent.
The more we learn, the clearer it becomes that tool use is not a human invention, it is a shared evolutionary legacy.
And as research continues to uncover new behaviours, one truth remains constant:
Scientists are still shocked by what chimpanzees can do with tools and these discoveries are reshaping our understanding of intelligence, evolution, and what it means to be human.
At Maseke Adventure, we do not sell safaris, we design experiences that stay with you for a lifetime.
