NEW YORK (AP) — Pretend play is often seen as a hallmark of human childhood. By age 2, most children can transform their surroundings into imaginary worlds and host make-believe tea parties. But could our closest animal relatives—apes—share this creative spark?
A recent study suggests the answer might be yes. Researchers staged an “imaginary tea party” to test whether Kanzi, a bonobo who grew up communicating with humans, could distinguish between real and pretend scenarios.
Kanzi’s Unique Skills
Kanzi became famous for his ability to use graphic symbols to communicate, combine symbols to create new meanings, and even craft simple stone tools. Scientists wondered whether this intelligence extended to imaginative play.
In one experiment, researchers “poured” pretend juice from a pitcher into two cups, then acted as if they emptied only one. Kanzi correctly indicated the cup still containing imaginary juice 68% of the time. In tests with real juice, he selected the actual drink nearly 80% of the time, suggesting he could tell the difference between real and imaginary objects. A similar experiment using fake grapes yielded comparable results.
“This work suggests that the roots of imagination may not be unique to humans,” said study co-author Christopher Krupenye of Johns Hopkins University.
Skepticism and Context
Not all scientists are convinced Kanzi was truly “pretending” in the human sense. Michael Tomasello, a comparative psychologist at Duke University, noted that envisioning a scenario is different from maintaining the pretense oneself. “To be convinced, I would need to see Kanzi actually pretend to pour water into a container himself,” he said.
Kanzi’s extraordinary upbringing among humans complicates the findings. Researchers caution that it’s unclear whether other apes, particularly those in the wild, would show similar abilities. Kanzi passed away last year at age 44, leaving behind a legacy of groundbreaking cognitive research.
Implications for Ape Cognition
Great apes are critically endangered, making it essential to understand their mental capacities. Experiments like Kanzi’s “juice party” could pave the way for future studies exploring the cognitive and imaginative lives of our closest genetic relatives.
“Kanzi opened this path for a lot of future studies,” said co-author Amalia Bastos from the University of St. Andrews.
While imagination may not be uniquely human, more research is needed to understand the limits and breadth of apes’ mental abilities—especially in natural habitats.