5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed is a favorite children's story. It's a counting story and a nursery rhyme that is fun to read or sing. Add in Curious George and we instill into children how fun monkeys are at a very early age. Well known for their interactive activities, monkeys have again proven that they are one of the most intelligent species in the animal kingdom. The East African vervet monkeys have been observed cracking nuts using a stone as an anvil and a pebble for a hammer! The Diana monkey uses tools to crack open hard palm-shelled fruits like coconuts which is naturally not part of its diet. These behaviors were first observed by Jane Goodall in the 1960s. The Great Ape Project, an organization that promotes the moral equality of all great apes, including humans, states: "There is no fundamental difference between gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos orangutans, and humans." Other scientists such as Richard Wrangham have stated the same thing. This statement has … [Read more...]