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Watch This Pissed-Off Chimp Take Down a Surveillance Drone

Curiosity killed the drone.
Rachel Pick
New York, US

It seems like humans aren't the only species annoyed at the prospect of drone surveillance.

One of our closest living relatives, a 23-year-old chimp named Tushi, has demonstrated her clear distaste for being monitored at Royal Burgers' Zoo in Arnhem, the Netherlands.

A quadrotor drone with a GoPro camera attached was spying on the chimpanzee enclosure to observe the behavior of the 14 apes in residence.

Unfortunately, the zoo's research efforts were foiled when Tushi climbed a tree and promptly knocked the drone out of the air with a stick. The chimp then clambered down to examine her foe, resulting in some hilarious chimp-nose close-ups.

Despite Tushi's irritation, animal research and conservation is one of the more unilaterally positive potential applications of drones. Drones can be used to observe from above, and are much less obtrusive than boats or motor vehicles. And Kenya is already using drones to surveil its national parks in an effort to stop poachers targeting elephants and rhinos.

In the US, however, researchers have to contend with FAA regulations until they are updated to allow for more drone use in animal research.

Let's just hope not all future subjects are as smart as Tushi.