GAMING AS GROWN-UPS
DID YOU KNOW? American zoologist Vladimir Dinets used 3,000 observations of crocodiles to analyse their play types
Playing games is most common in younger individuals of most species, but just as humans enjoy playing games as adults, studies show that chimpanzees do too. Adult social play is rare in animals, but playing games throughout all stages of life can build bonds, trust, psychological resilience and teamwork. Adult chimpanzees are more likely to play with others that they have a strong bond with, or with younger members of their families. They have also been observed playing with other adults that they have had disputes with. This shows their ability to use lighthearted play as a way to ease social tension in their groups. Doing so can increase their survivability, as they are more likely to cooperate with each other when needed. During studies of chimpanzees’ play behaviour, it was also found that when food is scarce, or the animals face other survival hardships, adults stop playing with each other. However, female chimpanzees continue to play with young offspring during these times, just as a human parent may continue to provide normality to their children during difficult periods.