Washington State University researchers have demonstrated that grizzly bears know how to use tools; photo from Shutterstock.com
Yogi Bear may still be the savviest picnic basket raider in town, but his real-life cousins are gaining speed: a study by researchers at Washington State University Bear Research Education and Conservation Center have concluded that some grizzly bears know how to use tools to get what they want.
Researchers gave eight grizzlies—five males and three females—the task of obtaining a donut that was just out of reach of their enclosure. They placed a tree stump just below the hanging treat to see if the bears would use it—if they did, the stump was moved away and turned over to observe if the bears would move it back under the donut.
Kio, 9, repositions a box to reach her donut; photo courtesy of WSU
Kio, a 9-year-old female grizzly, performed with flying colors by flipping and moving the stump to get the treat, and then by using a box to do the same. “Manipulation of an inanimate object” fits the definition of “tool use,” according to researchers.
Whereas other animals, like ravens and octopi, have long been recognized as proficient tool users, this study comes on the heels of a report wherein a researcher observed the “first tool use” by a brown bear in Alaska, who picked up a rock to scratch his skin to relieve an itch. Scientists at Washington State report seeing tool use by bears all the time, and wanted to provide a study that used standardized research protocol.
Our conclusion? Now would be a good time to invest in a bear can.
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