Watch: Young apes playfully teasing one another shows they have ‘great sense of humour’

Great apes – just like humans – playfully tease each other, scientists have found.

An international team of researchers analysed videos of four species: chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans.

These juvenile apes were filmed hair-pulling, poking, and body-slamming other members of their group as well as waving objects repeatedly in front of their faces.

The teasing was mainly one-sided and the intention was to playfully provoke a response or attract the target’s attention.

The Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour researchers, who analysed apes in San Diego and Germany, said that just like in humans, ape teasing was found to be persistent and included elements of surprise and play.