The biological similarities between apes and humans have been long documented by scientists.
Although there are still great and profound differences between humans and the various primate species, they share more than just some vague physical similarities—and this adorable video of a chimpanzee playing with its young displays a behavior that many parents are familiar with: playing “airplane.”
The Thai Chimpanzee Project, who have been studying the behaviors of chimps for the last 30 years, managed to snag this footage of a mother chimp playing airplane with her young.
The game likely sends a jolt of familiarity through nearly everyone who watches it, as it’s a popular game for parents to play with their children in the human world, as well. And this chimp does it like a pro; as the baby reaches for her face, the mother bounces it around like a particularly turbulent flight before finally pulling it down for an adorable embrace.
The video perfectly highlights why humans need to work to preserve this species better.
According to the WWF, “Chimpanzees have already disappeared from four African countries, and are nearing extinction in many others. Deforestation and commercial hunting for bushmeat are taking a terrible toll on most populations.”
When faced with a video this adorable, it’s hard not to want to do something to prevent that from further happening.
Photo Credit: YouTube Screenshot | Thai Chimpanzee Project
