0:00:05 > 0:00:08'You and I belong to an extraordinary family.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18'A family of hundreds of bizarre,
0:00:18 > 0:00:20'colourful
0:00:20 > 0:00:22'and characterful animals...'
0:00:25 > 0:00:27You are a clever monkey.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31'..who lead fascinating and dramatic lives...
0:00:33 > 0:00:34'..all over the world.
0:00:37 > 0:00:45'We, that is monkeys, lemurs and apes, are all primates.
0:00:46 > 0:00:51'And I want to introduce you to this amazing animal family...'
0:00:51 > 0:00:53Oh, he's licking me eyeball. Oh!
0:00:53 > 0:00:57'..To meet some relatives you never even knew you had.'
0:01:20 > 0:01:22We primates have many things in common
0:01:22 > 0:01:28and one key feature we share is that we're all pretty smart.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31Here in Thailand, this band of long-tailed macaques show
0:01:31 > 0:01:33just how clever monkeys can be.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45These monkeys have used their intelligence to conquer the city...
0:01:48 > 0:01:52..swapping the wilds of the forest for the urban jungle.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59It's a world full of new opportunities and new challenges.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05And the monkeys have some ingenious adaptations to their new home.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09These macaques have a great life.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11They live in an ancient temple where they're safe
0:02:11 > 0:02:15and every year the humans throw a party for them
0:02:15 > 0:02:18and it's the biggest monkey party in the world!
0:02:33 > 0:02:37The monkeys are quick to take advantage of the feast.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41I don't think I've seen anything quite like this in my whole life.
0:02:43 > 0:02:44Good, isn't it?
0:02:48 > 0:02:52For any primate, this is a feast of epic proportions.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54There's something like three tonnes of fruit and vegetables
0:02:54 > 0:02:57up for grabs here in a single day.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59It's just quite unique.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08They experiment with anything that could be food.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21I've never seen such a mess ever.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23It's like a teenager sleepover!
0:03:28 > 0:03:31'They've learnt to do things their wild cousins would never
0:03:31 > 0:03:36'need to do, but their unusual behaviour doesn't end there.'
0:03:40 > 0:03:43These monkeys also like to steal hair.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59And they use it as dental floss.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11This is quite a unique experience for me.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15I've got a macaque on my shoulder flossing its teeth.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17You couldn't make this up.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34There's a couple of theories as to why they floss their teeth.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36One is that it keeps their teeth clean
0:04:36 > 0:04:40and they get extra bits of food, but I think it's just because,
0:04:40 > 0:04:43if you've got something stuck in your teeth, it's really irritating.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49It takes great initiative to work out how to floss,
0:04:49 > 0:04:51and some get the hang of it quicker than others.
0:05:00 > 0:05:01Ow.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05They're pulling my hair out. I mean, I'll have no hair left at this rate!
0:05:05 > 0:05:06Ooh!
0:05:18 > 0:05:19A very bizarre diet
0:05:19 > 0:05:23has forced these clever monkeys to think outside the box.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31For centuries, it was thought that we humans were superior to all other
0:05:31 > 0:05:36beings and that animals were driven purely by the necessity to survive.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39But, by being able to solve problems, these monkeys
0:05:39 > 0:05:42show that they can be two steps ahead all the time.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48In fact, we're discovering more and more examples
0:05:48 > 0:05:51of extraordinary primate intelligence.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54So just how clever are they?
0:05:57 > 0:06:01Well, one sign of real intelligence is being prepared to take risks...
0:06:03 > 0:06:05..and seize opportunities.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10BICYCLE BELL RINGS
0:06:16 > 0:06:19And on the coast of East Africa is a monkey that does both.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25They're colourful, cunning
0:06:25 > 0:06:26and occasionally criminal.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42Zanzibar red colobus monkeys
0:06:42 > 0:06:45usually hang out in the forests and mangroves along the shore.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52They love the leaves of mango and Indian almond trees.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57Though they can't eat too much
0:06:57 > 0:07:00as the leaves contain high levels of toxins.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06These trees were brought to the island hundreds of years ago
0:07:06 > 0:07:09by spice traders and planted in the villages where they settled.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20But that's not the only attraction the village has to offer.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25The monkeys are launching a daring raid.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54It's not the local cuisine that's tempted the monkeys.
0:07:56 > 0:07:57It's charcoal.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20But why steal such a strange delicacy?
0:08:22 > 0:08:24SHOUTING
0:08:30 > 0:08:32Charcoal absorbs poison.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40It's the perfect antidote to the toxins in the leaves
0:08:40 > 0:08:42that the monkeys love to eat.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56'Just like the temple macaques,
0:08:56 > 0:08:59'the colobus have spotted an opportunity to solve
0:08:59 > 0:09:01'one of life's little problems.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09'Problem solving is a clear sign of intelligence
0:09:09 > 0:09:11'and there are plenty of problems to solve.'
0:09:18 > 0:09:20There's one problem most primates face
0:09:20 > 0:09:23and it's not anything to do with food. It's more to do with
0:09:23 > 0:09:26the hot, humid environments in which they live.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30We all hate mosquitoes and even monkeys aren't immune to them.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37MOSQUITOES WHINE
0:09:42 > 0:09:46For these white-faced capuchins in Costa Rica, there is no escape.
0:09:55 > 0:09:56Mosquitoes drive them mad
0:09:56 > 0:09:58and a single bite
0:09:58 > 0:09:59could carry disease.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12But the capuchins have discovered
0:10:12 > 0:10:14an ingenious way to protect themselves.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56They lather themselves in the sticky sap of a guapinol tree.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13It's nature's own answer to insect repellent.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26Usually, capuchins are fairly quarrelsome
0:11:26 > 0:11:29and would never get so close but, in the writhing mass,
0:11:29 > 0:11:33they are able to cover all the hard-to-reach spots.
0:11:43 > 0:11:49The monkeys are finally able to get a bit of well-earned rest.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53They've worked out that the tree sap keeps the mosquitoes away.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07'Understanding cause and effect is another sign of an agile mind.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13'It means you can manipulate the world around you
0:12:13 > 0:12:14'to your own benefit.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21'Here in coastal Thailand live some rather special monkeys,
0:12:21 > 0:12:24'who have become masters of this art.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45'These long-tailed macaques have embraced the beach lifestyle.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57'Although it looks idyllic, food is hard to come by on these islands.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08'But twice a day, for a few hours,
0:13:08 > 0:13:12'a shoreline littered with a seafood buffet is revealed.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18'Great food if you can get in to it.'
0:13:47 > 0:13:50I'm amazed this is happening so close to me.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52Tool use in apes is very common, of course,
0:13:52 > 0:13:54and we are the prime tool users
0:13:54 > 0:13:58but in monkeys this is very unusual indeed.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02'The trick to opening these oysters is having the right
0:14:02 > 0:14:07'tool for the job, and the beach is covered in a ready-made tool kit.'
0:14:13 > 0:14:16Whatever they use, they use it very dexterously.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19I haven't seen one of them hit their thumb yet.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26Different shellfish require not only different tools,
0:14:26 > 0:14:28but also different techniques.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34Sometimes hammering is most efficient.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40Other times, two hands are better than one.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46It all looks quite easy.
0:14:47 > 0:14:48Here's a cockle.
0:14:48 > 0:14:53There's a nice anvil stone here, and now I'm going to just...
0:14:53 > 0:14:54Eh.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59Well, actually, I was going to eat that!
0:15:03 > 0:15:04Just 60 years ago,
0:15:04 > 0:15:08we believed that humans were the only primates to use tools.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14Now we know that other primates have been using tools
0:15:14 > 0:15:15for thousands of years.
0:15:18 > 0:15:23It's that leap between taking a shellfish and banging it on a rock
0:15:23 > 0:15:25to putting it on the surface of the rock
0:15:25 > 0:15:27and then hitting it with a stone.
0:15:27 > 0:15:32That's the real intellectual leap, if you like, and these macaques
0:15:32 > 0:15:35have made that leap and they are now reaping the rewards.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42Although some need a little more practice than others.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02Using tools means they have regular access to a high-quality diet
0:16:02 > 0:16:05and this means they can spend less time foraging
0:16:05 > 0:16:07and more time relaxing.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53Using tools gets these monkeys a great meal.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58But there's one bizarre example of manipulation, which science is
0:16:58 > 0:17:00still struggling to understand.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08No creature in their right mind
0:17:08 > 0:17:11would go near a poisonous giant millipede.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27But these lemurs in Madagascar can't get enough of them.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53They're not trying to eat them.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57They're just trying to irritate them.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06The millipedes secrete a hideous cocktail of chemicals
0:18:06 > 0:18:07in self-defence.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24What the lemurs do next is even more of a mystery.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37They rub the poison all over their fur.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53No-one knows why they do this.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58It could be medicinal, an insect repellent,
0:18:58 > 0:19:01or even a perfume to attract a mate.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13Although one thing is for certain.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20This toxic chemical goo makes the lemurs, well,
0:19:20 > 0:19:21slightly intoxicated.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40We still have a lot to learn about our primate cousins.
0:19:45 > 0:19:50And the ability to learn is another key foundation for intelligence.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Primates have some of the longest childhoods in the animal kingdom,
0:19:56 > 0:20:00allowing the time they need to try things out.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12And the first thing they need to know is
0:20:12 > 0:20:15what is and what's not good to eat.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25Take this seed pod, for instance.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31The pulp is edible but the seeds are not.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33And, for any young primate,
0:20:33 > 0:20:37finding out which is which can be a very steep learning curve indeed.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43I hope I got that the right way round.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51These young mountain gorillas
0:20:51 > 0:20:54have to learn how to eat over 60 different foods.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01They learn by watching the adults,
0:21:01 > 0:21:05and, with a large extended family, they have lots of role models.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12Not everything is easy to eat.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18Gallium, in particular, is a bit tricky.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26It sticks to everything, just like Velcro, including your throat.
0:21:35 > 0:21:41But by wrapping up the sticky bits on the inside, it slips down easily.
0:21:48 > 0:21:49It's an important lesson.
0:21:52 > 0:21:58But these youngsters are having problems focusing...
0:22:03 > 0:22:06..and now they're paying the price.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09RETCHING
0:22:12 > 0:22:14YOUNG GORILLA RETCHES
0:22:25 > 0:22:28Sometimes in life, you just have to learn the hard way.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46THUNDER BOOMS
0:22:59 > 0:23:01LOW GROWL
0:23:05 > 0:23:10Orang-utans have the longest childhood of all non-human primates,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13spending up to ten years with just one teacher...
0:23:15 > 0:23:17..their mother.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28This bond between mother and child is crucial.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33They have a vast amount to learn.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38A mind map of hundreds of different foods
0:23:38 > 0:23:40and a calendar of when they fruit.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43Even how to build an umbrella.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58But what if your mother is taken away from you?
0:24:10 > 0:24:14'Here in Sumatra, in the middle of the rainforest, is a school.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16'For the pupils here, a good education
0:24:16 > 0:24:20'can mean the difference between life and death.'
0:24:31 > 0:24:34All the students are orphaned orang-utans.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40Their mothers were killed by hunters or loggers
0:24:40 > 0:24:42and they were sold as pets.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53It may seem odd to have orang-utans in a caged environment but this
0:24:53 > 0:24:57is an essential first step on them being re-introduced to the wild.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01When their mums were killed, they lost the library of information,
0:25:01 > 0:25:05the wealth of expertise on which they would have depended.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08Without their mums, they won't survive.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11We have to show them how to survive, how to find food,
0:25:11 > 0:25:13how to move in the forest.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17It seems bizarre but this is essential for a species
0:25:17 > 0:25:19which is on the very brink of extinction.
0:25:26 > 0:25:27'This is Dora.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31'She's four years old
0:25:31 > 0:25:35'and is learning how to be an orang-utan from scratch.'
0:25:35 > 0:25:38Right, it's off to school for you, my girl.
0:25:38 > 0:25:43You've got to pay attention in class, watch what people are doing.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51'Just like the gorillas, one of the most important lessons
0:25:51 > 0:25:54'is what and how to eat.'
0:25:54 > 0:25:56A wild orang-utan will mainly eat fruits
0:25:56 > 0:25:58but at times when there aren't any fruits,
0:25:58 > 0:26:02they need to fall back on food like termites,
0:26:02 > 0:26:05which is very rich in protein.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07And if you've never seen a termite nest before,
0:26:07 > 0:26:09you have to be shown what to do.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12So you break it open and you suck the termites out.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16And that's a very rich source of food.
0:26:22 > 0:26:23Perfect!
0:26:23 > 0:26:25She did it exactly right.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29You, Dora, are a model pupil.
0:26:32 > 0:26:37Now, this one here is a very nasty spiny climbing vine called
0:26:37 > 0:26:41rattan and it's pretty horrible but you can eat
0:26:41 > 0:26:45the bit in the middle at the base.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47And if you show them how to do it...
0:26:51 > 0:26:52Look at this.
0:26:52 > 0:26:53Look at that.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14She's watching, she's paying attention,
0:27:14 > 0:27:17she's doing exactly what's she's shown
0:27:17 > 0:27:20and that is really important for her future.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29As well as learning what to eat,
0:27:29 > 0:27:33these orphans need to get used to living and moving in the trees.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43'Their teachers constantly check their progress.'
0:27:46 > 0:27:49- They're very naughty sometimes. - Like teenagers.- Uh-huh.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02They'll also get marked on their foraging abilities.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08Oh, he's eating the fruit. Oh, great.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12Remembering everything they have learnt in class
0:28:12 > 0:28:14shows just how clever they are.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20Intelligence is based on memories - it's the brain's filing system.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25'But for some, like Julius here,
0:28:25 > 0:28:27'it takes a little longer to get the hang of things.'
0:28:30 > 0:28:32Oh, Julius, what are you doing?
0:28:32 > 0:28:34You are supposed to be up a tree.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40You're supposed to be up a tree, you silly boy! Come here.
0:28:43 > 0:28:44No, that's... No, no.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50You're very nice, but listen.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52HE LAUGHS
0:28:52 > 0:28:54Stop! Ah!
0:28:56 > 0:28:58Oh, he's licking my eyeball! Ah!
0:29:00 > 0:29:03Look, this is graduate school.
0:29:03 > 0:29:04You're supposed to be going up there.
0:29:04 > 0:29:08Go on. You're supposed to be going up the tree. Go on.
0:29:13 > 0:29:17Well, I've never had my eyeball sucked by an orang-utan before.
0:29:17 > 0:29:18Go on, up you go.
0:29:22 > 0:29:23I think this one
0:29:23 > 0:29:27is going to need a few more hours in class
0:29:27 > 0:29:28before he's ready to go.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38It's hard to believe that, not that long ago, this orang-utan
0:29:38 > 0:29:42was in somebody's front room, caged, as a pet, being fed on the ground
0:29:42 > 0:29:45and now, after a bit of training, they're up in the trees,
0:29:45 > 0:29:48where they belong, being real wild orang-utans.
0:29:57 > 0:30:01While Julius and his friends are learning how to be wild again,
0:30:01 > 0:30:04on the neighbouring island of Borneo is an orang-utan
0:30:04 > 0:30:08who lives near people and learns from them too.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15This is Siswi.
0:30:20 > 0:30:22Although she learnt the essentials from her mother,
0:30:22 > 0:30:25she has also picked up a few tips from humans.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44That's fantastic. That is art.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48I've seen worse hanging in the Tate.
0:30:52 > 0:30:56Above all else, Siswi is renowned for her creative thinking.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01She's always watching...
0:31:02 > 0:31:03..always learning...
0:31:06 > 0:31:09..even going incognito occasionally.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15'And she's been observing me closely all morning,
0:31:15 > 0:31:17'going in and out of the supplies shed.'
0:31:31 > 0:31:34Siswi has never been shown what to do,
0:31:34 > 0:31:38she's taken her own initiative to imitate those around her.
0:31:50 > 0:31:55'She's been able to reconstruct my actions from her own perspective
0:31:55 > 0:31:58'and understands the results of her actions.'
0:32:01 > 0:32:03That is incredible.
0:32:14 > 0:32:16She knows exactly what she's doing.
0:32:28 > 0:32:29Very impressive.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34What would be more impressive is if she closed the door after her.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39Orang-utans like Siswi
0:32:39 > 0:32:43are able to solve their own problems by watching others.
0:32:43 > 0:32:49This kind of imitation requires a high degree of abstract thought
0:32:49 > 0:32:53and it's something that very few species have been able to achieve.
0:33:07 > 0:33:11The ability to learn is fundamental to an intelligent mind.
0:33:18 > 0:33:22Chimpanzees all over Africa are expert problem-solvers
0:33:22 > 0:33:25and pass this knowledge on to their young.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33But when faced with the same conundrum,
0:33:33 > 0:33:36they don't always come up with the same solution.
0:33:46 > 0:33:50'To show you exactly what I mean, we've set up an experiment
0:33:50 > 0:33:52'with two communities of chimpanzees
0:33:52 > 0:33:55'living in forests in Uganda,
0:33:55 > 0:33:57'180km apart.'
0:34:05 > 0:34:08One in Kibale, the other in Budongo.
0:34:12 > 0:34:14In Kibale lives Tuke -
0:34:14 > 0:34:15an inquisitive teenager.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23In Budongo is Klauce -
0:34:23 > 0:34:24a boisterous youngster.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31'Both these chimps absolutely love honey,
0:34:31 > 0:34:34'so we've set them a challenge.'
0:34:34 > 0:34:37Now what we've done is, underneath this old piece of honeycomb,
0:34:37 > 0:34:39we've drilled a hole in a log
0:34:39 > 0:34:42and we've filled it up with liquid honey
0:34:42 > 0:34:45and that's something that sweet-toothed chimpanzees
0:34:45 > 0:34:46just won't be able to resist.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54The challenge for both is how to extract the honey.
0:34:59 > 0:35:03Both communities of chimpanzees live in the same type of environment.
0:35:09 > 0:35:13And both have been left a log filled with honey...
0:35:15 > 0:35:18..just out of their fingers' reach.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33Tuke immediately picks up a stick...
0:35:35 > 0:35:38..and uses it as a makeshift honey dipper.
0:35:44 > 0:35:45SCREECHING
0:35:45 > 0:35:48Whereas Klauce takes a different approach.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03He makes a sponge out of leaves.
0:36:14 > 0:36:18But these aren't solutions they've just come up with.
0:36:19 > 0:36:23For Tuke, using a stick is a tried and tested method
0:36:23 > 0:36:26that everyone in his family uses.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32And for Klauce, leaf sponging is something
0:36:32 > 0:36:35he learnt from the rest of his family too.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42Two different ways to get the same result.
0:36:46 > 0:36:50In both sites, once one chimp worked out a solution,
0:36:50 > 0:36:52they all learnt how to do it the same way.
0:36:55 > 0:36:57These family traditions are the beginnings
0:36:57 > 0:36:59of what we know as culture.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03Think about the way people eat.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06In the West, we use a fork and knife.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08In the East, we use chopsticks.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10Different means to the same end.
0:37:13 > 0:37:14SCREECHING
0:37:22 > 0:37:23It's inherently smart
0:37:23 > 0:37:27to be able to pass on information through generations.
0:37:31 > 0:37:36But intelligence, as some humans see it, isn't just about being smart.
0:37:37 > 0:37:39Some scientists believe
0:37:39 > 0:37:42it's about being able to have emotion and express it.
0:37:43 > 0:37:47But to do this, you have to have at least a little sense of who you are.
0:37:49 > 0:37:51When I look in the mirror, sometimes I get a shock,
0:37:51 > 0:37:54but I always know it's me.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57This may seem obvious to you, but there's actually only a handful
0:37:57 > 0:38:01of species in the world that are capable of recognising themselves.
0:38:14 > 0:38:18Recognising yourself is by no means a given in the primate world.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28Some don't even bother with their reflection.
0:38:31 > 0:38:32Some think it's a rival.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39And for the odd one, a mirror is just a souvenir.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52Knowing that you're looking at your own reflection
0:38:52 > 0:38:54means you're self-aware.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57It implies you're conscious of who you are.
0:39:01 > 0:39:03CHATTERING
0:39:03 > 0:39:06So, let's see how the chimps do.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09And I think I've found some willing volunteers.
0:39:09 > 0:39:10Ah!
0:39:10 > 0:39:13Look at the mirror. Come on. There.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15Look. Who's that?
0:39:15 > 0:39:16HE LAUGHS
0:39:18 > 0:39:21Right, one at a time, please. Right.
0:39:25 > 0:39:29'These chimpanzees live in a sanctuary in East Africa,
0:39:29 > 0:39:33'and this is the first time they've seen their own reflection.'
0:39:33 > 0:39:35No, there's nothing behind it.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37She's a little bit confused.
0:39:37 > 0:39:43It's as if she thinks there's a chimpanzee behind the mirror.
0:39:43 > 0:39:44It's only me.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48'To recognise your own reflection takes a large
0:39:48 > 0:39:51'amount of intellect and chimpanzees have been
0:39:51 > 0:39:55'scientifically proven to have a sense of self.'
0:40:00 > 0:40:01It's great.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06She really is looking at herself very intently indeed.
0:40:06 > 0:40:10She's just looking at every detail of her face.
0:40:11 > 0:40:12That's you.
0:40:23 > 0:40:24Oh!
0:40:26 > 0:40:29Well, there are always problems with experiments
0:40:29 > 0:40:32and Sara has now taken the mirror off me
0:40:32 > 0:40:35and is now halfway up a tree with the mirror.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41Come on.
0:40:41 > 0:40:42HE GRUNTS
0:40:44 > 0:40:47Sara, come on. Mirror.
0:40:48 > 0:40:49HE WHISTLES
0:40:54 > 0:40:55CHATTERING
0:40:57 > 0:41:01A sense of self is something that, for decades, we thought was
0:41:01 > 0:41:07uniquely human - the foundation of emotional intelligence.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09Now we know we're not alone.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21Take these rhesus macaques in India, for instance.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29It is 40 degrees in the shade...
0:41:30 > 0:41:34..and they're desperately trying to escape from the heat.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38SQUEALING
0:41:44 > 0:41:46The humans have a huge pool to cool off in.
0:41:49 > 0:41:51But the monkeys aren't welcome.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03It might not be as luxurious,
0:42:03 > 0:42:06but they have found themselves a cattle trough.
0:42:14 > 0:42:18However, these monkeys are not just interested in keeping cool.
0:43:01 > 0:43:03They are adrenaline junkies.
0:43:36 > 0:43:38They're not doing this simply to cool down.
0:43:40 > 0:43:41They're dive-bombing, it appears,
0:43:41 > 0:43:43purely for the fun of it.
0:43:48 > 0:43:52This implies a fascinating side to their intelligence.
0:44:01 > 0:44:02THEY SCREECH
0:44:02 > 0:44:06Having fun, suggests individuality,
0:44:06 > 0:44:07personality
0:44:07 > 0:44:12and a whole range of faculties that go beyond basic instinct...
0:44:17 > 0:44:20..and means you may even be capable of feelings.
0:44:20 > 0:44:22SQUEALING
0:44:27 > 0:44:28LEMUR WHINES
0:44:33 > 0:44:35LEMUR WHINES
0:44:35 > 0:44:38Many primates seem to experience emotions
0:44:38 > 0:44:41that we would all recognise, such as love and despair.
0:44:42 > 0:44:45Like this mother for her sick child.
0:44:54 > 0:44:58And also grief for the death of a loved one.
0:45:02 > 0:45:06This mother carried her dead baby for five days.
0:45:13 > 0:45:16This young orphaned bonobo is all alone,
0:45:16 > 0:45:18with no mother to protect him.
0:45:23 > 0:45:26He's been bitten on the hand by a member of the troop.
0:45:26 > 0:45:29They have injured him and cast him aside.
0:45:38 > 0:45:41But another youngster appears to feel his pain
0:45:41 > 0:45:43and tries to comfort him.
0:45:56 > 0:45:59Empathy, understanding the feelings of others,
0:45:59 > 0:46:02is one of the most complex emotions of all.
0:46:06 > 0:46:08CHATTERING
0:46:17 > 0:46:18And if you can understand
0:46:18 > 0:46:22what someone else might be thinking or feeling,
0:46:22 > 0:46:24you might be able to play tricks on them.
0:46:29 > 0:46:32Here, by the magnificent Iguazu Falls in Argentina,
0:46:32 > 0:46:35live some of the smartest monkeys on the planet.
0:46:44 > 0:46:49Capuchins have the largest relative brain size of all monkeys,
0:46:49 > 0:46:52and some are using it to their advantage.
0:46:54 > 0:46:57Like all monkeys, they live by a strict pecking order.
0:46:59 > 0:47:02At the bottom of the ladder is the lowest-ranking male.
0:47:05 > 0:47:09He always has to give way to the alpha male.
0:47:15 > 0:47:18'But being at the bottom of the social ladder
0:47:18 > 0:47:22'doesn't necessarily mean the low ranker is stupid.'
0:47:24 > 0:47:27We all know that monkeys can't resist a banana
0:47:27 > 0:47:29and I can't resist using one of these!
0:47:29 > 0:47:32When food is plentiful, everyone's happy.
0:47:32 > 0:47:35But when food's in short supply,
0:47:35 > 0:47:39some monkeys resort to sneakiness to get their share.
0:47:47 > 0:47:51'By raising this platform laden with bananas into the trees,
0:47:51 > 0:47:55'we can see how some monkeys can be more than a little cunning.'
0:48:01 > 0:48:04I can hear them coming. Right on cue.
0:48:04 > 0:48:05CHATTERING
0:48:13 > 0:48:14Here comes the big male.
0:48:24 > 0:48:25There!
0:48:27 > 0:48:32The first on the platform is the alpha male.
0:48:32 > 0:48:35He always gets first dibs on the treats.
0:48:37 > 0:48:40He is stuffing his face with bananas.
0:48:45 > 0:48:49There's nothing the other monkeys can do except watch and wait.
0:48:53 > 0:48:57And for the low-ranking male, who is last in line,
0:48:57 > 0:48:59the anticipation is unbearable.
0:49:04 > 0:49:07After the alpha male has grabbed the best bits,
0:49:07 > 0:49:12he lets a few other high rankers join the feast.
0:49:12 > 0:49:14SCREECHING
0:49:14 > 0:49:18Although he still makes sure they know who's boss.
0:49:22 > 0:49:26The lowly male has to wait, but he's losing patience.
0:49:29 > 0:49:31He has a trick up his sleeve.
0:49:35 > 0:49:39HIGH-PITCHED CHIRPS
0:49:39 > 0:49:41The monkeys on the platform scatter.
0:49:42 > 0:49:45The low ranker has sounded the alarm for a predator.
0:49:53 > 0:49:55But there is no predator.
0:49:57 > 0:50:02'It seems he faked it to get to the food.'
0:50:02 > 0:50:04By knowing how the rest of the troop would react,
0:50:04 > 0:50:07the underdog has managed to outwit the boss.
0:50:10 > 0:50:13Whether or not he has learned to do this or is intentionally
0:50:13 > 0:50:16deceiving the other monkeys is impossible to tell.
0:50:16 > 0:50:18Either way, by crying wolf,
0:50:18 > 0:50:21he's managed to get his hands on some food.
0:50:21 > 0:50:22He can't do it too often, though,
0:50:22 > 0:50:25but, on this occasion, his ruse has worked
0:50:25 > 0:50:27and he's conned his way into a free lunch.
0:50:34 > 0:50:37Primates are clearly very smart.
0:50:37 > 0:50:41They are not only able to solve basic problems but they can operate
0:50:41 > 0:50:46on a higher level, expressing emotions and deceiving others -
0:50:46 > 0:50:49things we once considered uniquely human.
0:51:02 > 0:51:06But just how like us can a non-human primate be,
0:51:06 > 0:51:11when all the pressures of surviving in the wild are taken away?
0:51:24 > 0:51:26Well, I'm on my way to meet
0:51:26 > 0:51:30the most remarkable non-human primate on the planet.
0:51:30 > 0:51:34And I'm not going to find a single species, but a single individual,
0:51:34 > 0:51:39who has led a remarkable life growing up between two worlds,
0:51:39 > 0:51:44and he's in the most unlikely of places, here in Iowa in America.
0:51:56 > 0:51:58This is Kanzi.
0:51:59 > 0:52:04He's a 33-year-old bonobo who has lived his entire life
0:52:04 > 0:52:09in a bicultural world, learning from both from humans and other bonobos.
0:52:15 > 0:52:19Kanzi has had time to develop some skills that are completely
0:52:19 > 0:52:21unique in the primate world.
0:52:25 > 0:52:28'And, to find out just what he's capable of,
0:52:28 > 0:52:31'I'm going to invite him on a picnic.
0:52:33 > 0:52:37'My assistant here is Teco, Kanzi's son,
0:52:37 > 0:52:40'and together we are going to give Kanzi a call.'
0:52:40 > 0:52:41Right.
0:52:41 > 0:52:42RINGING
0:52:44 > 0:52:45He's not answering.
0:52:48 > 0:52:51It's always the same when you try and ring a bonobo -
0:52:51 > 0:52:52they're always busy.
0:52:52 > 0:52:53RINGING
0:52:56 > 0:52:58He's hung up on me.
0:52:58 > 0:53:01You know, you go to all this trouble to ring a bonobo
0:53:01 > 0:53:04and they hang up on you halfway through the conversation.
0:53:04 > 0:53:05RINGING
0:53:07 > 0:53:08'Hello!'
0:53:08 > 0:53:11That's your daddy, look. There's your daddy.
0:53:11 > 0:53:16'Teco and I are going to ask Kanzi what he wants in his picnic bag.'
0:53:18 > 0:53:21I'm going to show you what's in the fridge, OK?
0:53:21 > 0:53:24And you can tell me what you want.
0:53:24 > 0:53:27OK, I'm opening the fridge Kanzi. Now...
0:53:27 > 0:53:30Ooh, look at this. What would you like?
0:53:32 > 0:53:33Orange.
0:53:35 > 0:53:37You'd like oranges? Oranges.
0:53:37 > 0:53:39OK, I've got some Oranges.
0:53:40 > 0:53:42Grapes.
0:53:42 > 0:53:46'Kanzi can understand English language but can't talk back,
0:53:46 > 0:53:49'so he has learnt how to use a lexigram.
0:53:51 > 0:53:54'It might seem like a random bunch of symbols,
0:53:54 > 0:53:56'but each represents a word
0:53:56 > 0:53:59'and Kanzi understands over 500 of them.'
0:54:01 > 0:54:02Tomato.
0:54:02 > 0:54:06Tomatoes. OK. I'm going to put some tomatoes in the backpack.
0:54:07 > 0:54:08'Cherries.'
0:54:08 > 0:54:11Where are the cherries? Oh, cherries.
0:54:12 > 0:54:16This is probably one of the most surreal things I've ever done,
0:54:16 > 0:54:22talking to a bonobo who's asking me to put fruit in the backpack.
0:54:22 > 0:54:24- 'Celery.' - Right, celery, OK.
0:54:29 > 0:54:30I got you apples.
0:54:35 > 0:54:38OK. Well, that's it. I think we've got everything,
0:54:38 > 0:54:39and now we're set for a picnic.
0:54:41 > 0:54:42Come on. Teco.
0:55:04 > 0:55:06SCREECHING
0:55:09 > 0:55:10SCREECHING
0:55:11 > 0:55:13It's absolutely captivating.
0:55:13 > 0:55:19You can't not draw comparisons between what you're seeing here
0:55:19 > 0:55:20and our own lives.
0:55:24 > 0:55:27At just three years old, Teco is learning how the world works,
0:55:27 > 0:55:30and also he's learning from his dad.
0:55:30 > 0:55:32SCREECHING
0:55:32 > 0:55:35And he's just learnt not to hit his dad in the face quite so hard.
0:55:36 > 0:55:38Oh!
0:55:39 > 0:55:40SCREECHING
0:55:48 > 0:55:52In front of our very eyes, they are breaking down the final
0:55:52 > 0:55:54barriers that separate us and them.
0:56:56 > 0:57:00I've watched lots of wild animals and primates in the wild,
0:57:00 > 0:57:04but I've never seen one that can do things that are so human-like,
0:57:04 > 0:57:07I mean, things that I would do.
0:57:07 > 0:57:12It really gives you a feeling of just how close we are.
0:57:20 > 0:57:22The more we learn about our primate cousins,
0:57:22 > 0:57:27the more we realise just how much of them is in us,
0:57:27 > 0:57:29and us is in them.
0:57:33 > 0:57:38Having met so many relatives from all round the world,
0:57:38 > 0:57:42I feel, really, for the first time, part of the family.
0:57:46 > 0:57:49And it truly is an extraordinary family.
0:57:58 > 0:58:03Our flexibility, complex relationships and agile brains
0:58:03 > 0:58:08mean that, together, we are perhaps the most successful family on earth.
0:58:15 > 0:58:17We should be proud to be a primate.