The study focused on Kanzi, a language-trained bonobo who died in March 2025 at the age of 44. Ape Initiative.

A new experiment hints that an ape may be able to play pretend like humans do.

Great apes aren't so different from humans when it comes to certain social interactions, they too enjoy making funny faces, poking one another, randomly pulling hair and other forms of teasing, ...

You’re at a pretend tea party, but instead of sitting across from toddlers in tiaras, you’re clinking cups with Kanzi—an ape ...

Ape Imagination This undated photo provided by the Ape Initiative shows Kanzi, a bonobo who learned to communicate with humans, in Des Moines, Iowa. (Ape Initiative via AP) (AP) Ape Imagination This ...

Get any of our free daily email newsletters — news headlines, opinion, e-edition, obituaries and more. NEW YORK (AP) — By age 2, most kids know how to play pretend. They turn their bedrooms into ...

NEW YORK — Most kids know how to play pretend by age 2. They turn their bedrooms into faraway castles and hold make-believe tea parties. The ability to make something out of nothing may seem uniquely ...

Can Apes Play Pretend? Scientists Use an Imaginary Tea Party to Find Out NEW YORK (AP) — By age 2, most kids know how to play pretend. They turn their bedrooms into faraway castles and hold ...