Do apes have an imagination? A new study suggests Kanzi the bonobo did

Amalia Bastos first met Kanzi the bonobo in 2023. Bastos was “starstruck,” she recalls: Kanzi was famous for learning how to communicate with humans using a keyboard of symbols. Upon first seeing Bastos, Kanzi immediately pointed at her and another scientist. Then the ape pointed to his “lexigrams”—the symbols he used to communicate—selecting the icons for “chase” and “tickle.” The two researchers obliged, pretending to chase and tickle each other. “[Kanzi] found that highly entertaining,”...