The importance of child's play

Chimpanzee mothers prioritise playtime with their offspring, even when food is scarce

- Helen Pilcher

NEW RESEARCH INTO THE BEHAVIOUR OF chimpanzee mothers, published in Current Biology, shows that they prioritise tickling, chasing and playing with their youngsters, in order to help give them the best start in life.

Play is not very common in the wild, at least among adult animals. It might be fun but it uses up a lot of energy, so the practice tends to be restricted to youngsters, where it plays a key role in developing physical and social skills. Adult chimps are unusual because they play with each other and with their young, but researchers expected to see that when food supplies dwindle, the adults would ditch play in favour of foraging.