Gorillas Pissed Off, Not Taking it Anymore

For the first time ever, a team of researchers studying gorillas in Cameroon, the small republic in Africa, have documented great apes throwing clumps of grass and tree branches at humans. The observations, which suggest a new level of animal aggression toward their upright counterparts, were made during a three-year study of Cross River gorillas on Cameroon's Kagwene Mountain.

"At first we didn't think too much of it, but then we realized that this is quite remarkable," Jacqueline Sunderland Groves, who headed up the team, told National Geographic News. "I don't think gorillas have been documented using this kind of weaponry before in the wild."

Great apes have long been known to use tools and researchers have observed primates throwing objects at predators or rivals before. But grabbing sticks and stones with you-want-some-of-this belligerence against humans is a relatively new phenomenon. In the American Journal of Primatology, where the team published its report, the scientists suggest the gorillas might have learned the unusually violent behavior from, wait for the big surprise, us.

In similar news, earlier this year researchers documented African chimpanzees fashioning "spears" to hunt small primates called bush babies. And an article in the latest issue of GQ, "The Violence of the Lambs," discusses the increase of animal-on-man violence around the world: leopards killing 22 villagers in India, packs of wild dogs in Albania viciously attacking small children and old people, good-natured dolphins breaking bad and pulling people under. The most disturbing? Elephants raping rhinos in Africa. 

Is it the beginning of an animal kingdom-wide "Falling Down"? We're still a tad skeptical, but as for the Cameroon gorillas, there are about 250 and they're facing numerous threats including rapidly diminishing habitat and an increase in hunting for the bushmeat trade. Look at it this way: They weigh 400 lbs, have thumbs, nothing to lose, and live near one of the world's largest collections of cheap AK-47s. Don't say we didn't warn you.
--Damon Tabor

Comments

[Jake]

This is interesting for sure, I hope they can find out what is causing the abnormal aggression towards humans. I like many, would like nothing more than to help these great creatures, afterall they are like us in so many ways.....

[Balsa]

No Touch Monkey!!!!

[Carol]

This reminds me of bull fighting. I think those guys get everything coming to them when a bull gores them. That stupid sport should be outlawed.

And gorilla poachers should be shot on site.

[jessie doyle]

hey monkey u r so funny i am having so much fun