Bonobo Study Suggests Imagination Isn’t Exclusive to Humans
Recent research indicates that bonobos, a great ape species, demonstrate the capacity for imaginative play, challenging the long-held belief that fantasy is a uniquely human trait. The findings, published today, February 10, 2026, could have implications for understanding the evolution of cognition and the mental lives of animals. This development arrives as investors continue to assess the broader implications of advancements in behavioral science on consumer markets and related industries.
The study, conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University and the University of St Andrews, focused on Kanzi, a male bonobo renowned for his cognitive abilities and prior breakthroughs in language comprehension. Kanzi, who passed away in March 2025 at the Ape Initiative in Des Moines, Iowa, at the age of 44, was able to participate in a “tea party” experiment adapted from tests used with human children.
In the experiment, researchers pretended to pour juice into two cups, then pretended to empty one. When asked to choose a cup, Kanzi consistently selected the cup he believed contained juice, even though he knew it was an illusion. He also readily pretended to eat imaginary grapes. “It is really striking and exciting that the research suggests apes can come up with things that aren’t there,” said Amalia Bastos, a comparative psychologist at the University of St Andrews, in a press statement. “Kanzi can therefore generate an idea of the object (in this case the juice that is supposedly poured) and at the same time realize that it is not real.”
Whereas observations of behavior resembling pretense have been noted in chimpanzees and other great apes – including a bonobo named Panbanisha pretending to eat imaginary blueberries – this study provides the first explicit demonstration of pretend play in a non-human animal. Researchers noted Kanzi’s performance wasn’t flawless, but deemed the results sufficient to prove that great apes possess fantasy and can engage in “make believe.”
Kanzi gained prominence for his ability to understand hundreds of English words and communicate using symbols called lexigrams. His cognitive skills were first recognized through earlier groundbreaking linguistic research. The study builds on this legacy, suggesting a more complex inner mental life for these animals than previously understood.
“It tells us that maybe they have a richer inner mental life than some people might have given them credit for or expected,” Bastos added. The research team’s findings are detailed in a report published in Nature and have also been covered by The New York Times, VRT, De Telegraaf, Jeugdjournaal, VRT, NRC and Scientias.nl.
