Who Knew? Apes Can Swim and Dive, For the first time, researchers have documented a behavior that had been thought unnatural, if not impossible: apes swimming.The scientists captured on video two examples of apes that could swim quite naturally. The first was a young chimpanzee named Cooper, who not only figured out how to swim but could also dive underwater to retrieve items from the bottom of a swimming pool."We were extremely surprised when the chimp, Cooper, dived repeatedly into a swimming pool in Missouri and seemed to feel very comfortable," Renato Bender, a researcher at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, said in a statement. "It was very surprising behavior for an animal that is thought to be very afraid of water." [8 Humanlike Behaviors of Primates]The second ape was Suryia, an orangutan living in a zoo in South Carolina. Suryia was recorded swimming about 39 feet (12 meters) without assistance. Both apes use a modified breaststroke to navigate, which sets them apart from other mammals (including humans) that usually dogpaddle when forced to swim.
Source:
Who Knew? Apes Can Swim and Dive Images
Study suggests apes can learn to swim and dive like humans
(532 x 354 - 35.85 KB - jpeg)
Apes can be taught to love swimming and diving: video - Times LIVE
(630 x 400 - 23.99 KB - jpeg)
Willpower Is Actually An Unlimited Resource, You Just Have To Believe ...
(480 x 360 - 43.69 KB - jpeg)
As violent clashes roiled Egypt, looters made away with a prized ...
(396 x 223 - 16.22 KB - jpeg)
