This video (see below) has gone viral. More than 8 million people have viewed it and it’s sparked a debate as to whether it is genuine or a fake. It’s also believed to have been released in the run-up to the new film Rise of the Planet of the Apes out next month.
The short film clip shows a chimpanzee coming into a camp with West Africa soldiers who are all holding rifles. One gun-toting “idiot” (would you give a loaded gun to an animal that has the ability to pull the trigger?) hands over the AK-47. In a matter of seconds, several rounds have been fired off and everyone has scarpered except for the cameraman who’s now cowering behind a log.
Is it reasonable to think a chimp could do this? It may not have the rational behind pulling a trigger, but great apes have amazing cognitive skills. If they can strip a twig of leaves, to push it down a termite nest, to fish for “food”, then pulling a trigger is a no-brainer. Whether that action is then repeated on a “conscious” level because it understands the power behind holding a weapon – is highly improbably.
Recently I posted pictures of macaques in Sulawesi, that had taken self-portraits on a wildlife cameraman’s unmanned equipment. Primates are curious animals they will investigate things that are foreign to them. It does not mean they understand what they are doing, there is little, if any scientific evidence to support this sort of behaviour and any around, may at best be anecdotal.
But this video may indeed be a fake. If a round had been fired off, it’s likely that the chimpanzee would have dropped the gun from the shock of the noise and run away. I’ve fired a gun when I was in Nam. I wasn’t aiming at the Viet Cong, mind you. During a holiday to Ho Chi Minh I visited the Củ Chi tunnels, on the tour you can have a go at firing different rifles. Not only is the noise ear-drum shattering but the impact on your shoulder as the rifle is let off is pretty hard. So if an ape is holding the gun (bearing in mind it has no past experience to go on) when the trigger is pulled, it would need to know to have good control of it.
Also letting off a few shots may have been possible but not several rounds. There is also the argument that perhaps this is the camp’s “pet” so it may well have become habituated (accustomed) to the sound of gun-fire and through observation may be imitating what it has witnessed from its closest relatives – us.
Frightening thought though!!! Anyone else care to discuss?
whogivesamonkeys 
Christian Daly
July 19, 2011
Hi Asha !
Thanks for uploading the video ! It had me chuckling for hours afterward !
On a more serious note, I suspect it is a fake. The central segment showing the chimp holding the rifle is disjointed, and appears to have frames missing. Even allowing for the fact that the cameraman was supposedly cowering behind a log, the movements of the chimp should have been smoother.
Still, as you say, it’s tempting to believe that apes are picking up some bad habits from us humans !
Best
Christian
Christian Daly
July 22, 2011
You were right, Asha ! The video is part of a viral marketing campaign in the run up to the release of ‘ Rise of the planet of the apes ‘. Apparently, there’s another video doing the rounds showing a chimpanzee hacking a carcass to pieces with a machete.
Let’s hope the film, when it’s released, has valid messages to expound and is not just an excuse for a so-called ‘gore-fest’ !
Best
Christian
urbanprimate
July 22, 2011
It’ll be entertaining, if anything.
I’m trying to convince work to let me cover the opening as a more scientific story for the news programme, (depends on what else is around and cameras etc) but it would be good to get into the debate of medical testing on apes in the US.
A
Chris Rett
May 28, 2013
For sure, it is possible that apes may very well be able to use human weapons in the future. Primates can already smoke cigarettes, fly space shuttles, and play board games using innovative strategy. Hopefully in the future primates can be used in the military to fire weapons upon the enemy and carry equipment.
urbanprimate
June 9, 2013
I certainly hope in the future that chimps won’t be used to fire weapons. Firstly we should not be allowed to manipulate animals and force them into behaviour that is completely un-natural. And secondly humans have no common language with apes so that would be a crazy and radical idea to arm them!