ANIMAL COGNITION

(1) Till as late as the 1960s, we believed that one of the maior differences between us and the rest of the animal kingdom was our ability to make and use tools: n then, our egos suffered a devastating blow: in the jungles of Gombe in Africa, Jane Goodall observed a chimpanzee pluck and trim a stem of grass and insert it mto a termite mound. The furious termites climbed up the stem only to be happily eater up by the chimp. The chimp kept repeating the process. He had, in fact, fashioned his own fishing rod and gone fishing for termites. We were not alone! And that was not all. Chimps were also observed using rocks to bash open hard shells and fruits (which other monkeys also do), to throw them at their enemies and wave sticks around. Even worse, adolescent females, especially, were seen sharpening sticks with their teeth and thrusting these like spears into hollows where bush-babies were hiding. I fear and then checked the spear tips for blood! Chimps were also seen chewing up leaves and using these like sponges to suck up water from the waterholes to enable them to drink.

(2) The gorillas and orangutam were not tar behind. In 2005, a western lowland gorilla (a lady, this time) was observed picking up a sck and using it to check the depth of a pool she wanted to crOs Then, she used it as a walking stick Orangutans Cas well as chimpanzees) have been observed using broad leaves as umbrellas during downpours - and orangutans that are accustomed to our company (nne mfluence) imitate the way we wash clothes by the riverbank or use a saw to cut wood.

(3) Elephants designed fly whisks and backscratchers from branches and used strips of chewed up bark to plug small waterholes (which they had dug) to prevent thr water trom evaporating. Dada bulls would heave heavy logs or rocks at electric tences to short-carcut or simply destroy them.

(4) Bottle-noned dolphins have been known to cover their long noses with sponges or shells before combing the scabed for tidbits (There are many spiny creatures and sharp rocks that could otherwise injure them)

(5) Crows are thought to be the smartest amongst birds and the new Caledotuan crow is considered to be the Einstein among crows Crows have been known to do the dropping-of-pebbles-in-a-pitcher-of-water stunt, as described in Aesop's Fables. The American alligator has been known to arrange twigs on its head - to lure nest- building birds to come and pick them up. When they do, well, lunch is served for the alligator!

(6) For long, we have exploited the poor silkworm, boiling its cocoons alive to make one of the most exquisite clothing materials known so far But the real pros in silk production are - hold your breath - spiders. What caterpillars of moths and butterflies do with their mouthparts (like a magician releasing ribbons from his her mouth), spiders do it from the lower part of their bodies But try as we may, we still haven't cracked the code of how to synthesise spider silk, wich can be used for everything from producing gunsights and sutures to light bulletproof jackets and seat belts.

(7) What if spiders sold their silk? Imagine walking into a silk emporium run by arachnids, vou would be greeted by a sales-spider charming, voung Ms Mr Hairy legs, who would appraise vou out of her his cight or so eyes "Welcome. welcome!" She He would gush scanning vou top-down. rubbing its hairy legs together in delight. "We have some of the finest, softest cradle stlk you would ever want for your happy events. Wrapped up in it. your babies will be warm, sale and dry as they wait to hatch. It's super-absorbent, too, and nappy rash will not be a problem!

(8) So ves, animals use tools, but we needn't worry. None of them have, as yet, discovered how to make fire. Though our very own black kite will- with ts goonda friends - spread a wildfire by dropping burning twigs in unburned areas so they can snap up even more flecing insects and rodents. But yes, these so-called tools are primitive.

(9) But then, do animals really need sophisticated tools to get what they want ? Cheetahs acrelerate faster than Ferraris, pit vipers have heat-seeking sensors, cagles can locate a rabbit in a field from kilometres awas, sharks smell a drop of blood in a whole ruddy ocean, bats use sonar, birds and bers see ultravioler light, a falcon can dive at 320 kmph, snakes bave a cocktail of venom that can bleed, paralyse or hquefy you to death, spiders' silk still has us in a tizzy, chameleons and octopuses wear invisibility dloaks, and migratory birds have built-in navigation system - the list is endless! (10) We had the best brains and so were able to design miraculous tools. But look where we have ended up: we've gassed up the carth's air, poisoned the water and have stocked enough weaponry to destroy ourselves a million times over So really, who is the monkey with the wrench?