Just how smart are monkeys? Their innate curiosity leads them to try new things, but it’s their culture — the passing of information from one generation to the next — that teaches them much of what they know. Their young learn by reaching out with their hands to experience the world around them, grasping new objects, slowly piecing together an understanding of their society. They learn from their families how to find food, communicate, recognize kin, even use tools, medicine, and language. It is these familiar actions that make monkeys so fascinating to humans. We can see ourselves in their faces, our nature in their actions.
NATURE travels around the world to visit some of these fascinating primates. From tiny pygmy marmoset in South America to aggressive baboons of Africa and compassionate toque macaques in Sri Lanka, Clever Monkeys challenges many ideas about what is purely “human.”
Clever Monkeys premieres Sunday, November 9 at 8pm on PBS (check local listings).
To order a copy of Clever Monkeys, please visit the NATURE Shop.
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Monkeys are just so awesome!
I don’t like monkeys
I like monkeys. Who doesn’t like monkeys?
I don’t like being around with monkeys…not that there’s anything wrong with being a monkey. In fact, I am very tolerant of monkeys.
I have wanted a chimpanzee since I was 3 years old and now I am 56 and the urge is even greater!
Fabulous, fabulous show. I am so surprised that there are not more intelligent comments on this show. i feel that people who can’t relate to OTHER animals than themselves live in a world of ignorance about themselves. While we are busy looking to other planets to be awstruck by the unusual we should appreciate the “awesome” planet of plants and animals that already exist right here under our noses. wake up people get rid of your petty prejudices and embrace this diverse and magnificent planet.
Suu, You really should educate yourself more.
i like monkeys. A monkey may be the narrator’s relatives, but not mine.
Nature has produced a fasinating program, illuminating some characteristics eerily similar to our own. Vicki C has recognized something of this sort since she was three, attracting her to the company of chimpanzees. ZACH: you should be ashamed of your public posting questioning Vicki C’s interest. Perhaps you are frightened of monkey’s? Please keep such thoughts to yourself or, at least, be tactful. Thank you.
What a great program! What a great animals!
We MUST protect them…share our planet
Great show!!
I especially found interesting the parts about the ability of many monkeys to know several languages as well as the harm (e.g., stress, ulcers) suffered by many monkey species due to strife, competition and aggression .
Vicki C.., why don’t you volunteer at a rescue and rehab sanctuary for primates who were ripped from their mothers and forced to live in captivity,help them with what quality of life they have left.That might curve your urge.
No more Monkeying around, they fight like humans, not just for survival but out of contempt/vindictiveness. The only species that I know of other than Homo Sapiens
I just can’t understand how people believe that we aren’t related to these amazing little guys. Read “The Third Chimpanzee” by Jared Diamond, the world becomes a little clearer after you have. Oh yeah, the show was great. My wife and I loved it.
When you observe the behaviors of the various monkey from the perspective of life forms across 100 million years of mutations it becomes a little clearer about the beginnings of sapiens 100 thousand years ago up to today. I would spectulate that if studies were made of lower life forms down to the single cell level that similar behaviors would be documented.
Delightful program! Visually engaging with charming narration, Nature is a sure winner for educators.
I am truly fascinated with all kinds of monkeys, but missed the show!! I heard it was excellent. Does anyone know if the show will be on again?
A very enjoyable documentary.
I recommend it to anyone.
I never knew there were so many different kinds of monkeys! You can learn so much from nature!
I wonder how scientifically accurate were parts of the program and how much was anthromorphizing on the part of the producers to make a more entertaining storyline. For example I’d like to know how one can know the monkeys are “feeling” loss over the dead or neurotic about failing in competition. I think these would require some metacognitive processing of concepts like mortality and inferiority–no? I wished they delved into the methodology of the research they used to support their narrative bents.
I used to not like monkeys but now I kind of think their cute, accept baboons. I hate them their so vicious and they pick on any kind of animal they can catch. Even cheetahs!WOW!!!!!
A fascinating and enjoyable documentary. But I was mildy surprised you did not comment on monkeys’ territorial imperative. In 1968 my husband and I walked in the Drakensburg Mts. in S. Africa among the gibbons. Going down a path beside a ravine with a steep rise on the other side, we watched two tribes of baboon chase one another over the ridge. They swooped down, reached a certain point and the fleeing tribe stopped, turned and chased the pursuers back part way up the ridge. They reached another point and the reverse took place. After watching for about 15 minutes, we could easily have drawn two lines, on either side of what was “no man’s land.” Perhaps the producers did not have the good fortune to witness such an event, or perhaps they call it instinct rather that reasoning. We had the impression they were really thinking.
Great program. It’s the bible thumpers that don’t like the idea of evolution. Those are the ones that don’t like this show.
Keep em coming PBS/Nature
FYI, this show focused on Monkeys and not Apes… Monkey’s are more distant “relatives” than our “cousins” the Apes. Chimps are Apes like Gorillas and Orangutans and different from Monkeys and different from Humans.
Some of the monkeys seem did smarter than apes but there are more monkeys to choose from. There were no spider monkeys… they are the cutest.
This program was great. I’ve never before seen footage of baboons chasing down live game and find the interspecific language comprehension of the African monkeys to be fascinating! For those of you who love primates, did you know that chimps are actually fashioning sticks into spears now? They use their teeth to create a fine point, and then jab the spears into the hollows of trees where the little galagos (”bush babies”) are hiding. How’s that for a kebab?
Margaret – Gibbons do not live in Africa. They and the Siamangs are known as the “singing apes of ASIA”.
Vicki C. – Please reconsider your desire to own an ape as a pet. No offense, but you’re too old to own such an animal (remember – they live up to age 30 or so in captivity) and they are A LOT of work. I’ve seen too many primates end up in rescue centers because people think it would be fun to own such a pet, only to find out such animals are more work than human children. Remember, chimps are cunning, strong, and should we say, less cleanly than humans. Plus, is it ethical to keep such a close relative of humans as a pet?
Monkeys do NOT make good pets. Apes such as chimps are worse. But they are also delightful animals. They have strong emotional personalities, with equally strong primal insticts. Add to that a great physical strength (I have seen a 25 lb monkey to overpower a 150 lb man) and you have potentially a very dangerous anmal. I have been working with monkeys for over 20 years. When they get cranky or scared they can – and usually do – bite. That really, really hurts, even from the little squirrel monkeys. I have the scars to prove it, so do some of my children. Monkeys should not be used for research or kept as domestic pets. I love monkeys, especially new world, and I thought this show was great even though I have a tendency to thump my Bible
Oh yeah, suu: You, as a Homo sapien, do in fact, share a common ancestor with monkeys. The common ancestor lived more than 5 million years ago in the wilds of Africa. If you’re interested, do a little research. YOU ARE NOT SPECIAL. Humans are still animals and the current result of millions of years of on-going evolution.
Clever Monkeys was fantastic! Incredible Cinematography! Thank you Nature for such a fascinating program that teachs some lessons about us as well as monkeys!
The Clever Monkeys program was fascinating. I’m going to order a copy so I can watch it again. And again.
Great show. I think I’ll buy the DVD. I noticed credit to BBC. British programming on science and nature is top notch.
Absolutely, hands down, one of the absolute coolest, most fascinating programs, documentaries whatever you want to call it that I have ever seen. Just incredible. I gives you additional perspective on what it means to be human and just what humans’ place is in the order of the universe. I just loved it. I want more. I want a monkey.
i love monkys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they are soooo cute!
As Mick Jagger so succinctly expressed: “I’m a monkey!”
Absolutely halarious! I laughed so hard at these little guys. Calling, “SNAKE!” in order to eat an egg. The three bachelors courting the harams. The flirting eyes. We share a lot charatoristics with monkeys for sure, but are’nt you glad after all (we) go through we can laugh at ourselves later? I don’t think theses monkeys can whiich make them so adorable. I loved this episode on monkeys!
I have read many of Dr. Frans de Waal’s books. He is an expert in primatology. Yet, I have learned a lot from this wonderful and fascinating program. I can’t wait to learn what Dr. Waal has to say about this program. I am sure, though, whatever he says will add something new to my understanding of the lives of the apes, the monkeys as well as the human beings.
What a wonderful program, I have 14 primates at my home and each is monkey is just as wonderful as those in this show. It amazes me they are so life like and act as we humans do. Yes they are very smart and I love each and everyone. These are considered my kids and love them as bilogical chilren. Great show.
“if you let monkeys grow peanuts you be bushed”
Thank you for this excellent program. I love Nature programs but this one really was the best. It is so plain that we are related to the Monkeys. Anyone who cannot see this, just does not want to see it.
Sherill Pearson is right, I was rather appalled at the inane, moronic comments about this magnificent show, comments like: “I like monkeys”….duh….This show had some of the most fantastic photography I’ve ever seen, and the look, the cinematography, was absolutely beautiful, and the new information, about how we’ve underestimated the intelligence of monkeys, and how we are much more like them than we ever thought, was fascinating. Evolution is a fact! Get used to it, Palin fans!
…and others like him.) I, TOO, thought it was an awesome show, once again displaying the wonder of God’s creation. It’s too bad that some people (i.e., “Ego-Thumpers”) refuse to use their God-given free will and intelligence to learn and understand more about the world (and people) around them. Maybe, then, they could understand that God, indeed, may have used evolution as the tool by which He created us…I guess some of them aren’t the “sharpest thumbtacks in the bulletin board”, though, unlike their distant primate relatives. God + Bless all those who learn before it’s too late!
I wish they would put up the clip where the monkey steals the cake. I would love to show my friends that.
This documentary was stunning. If you can watch it without looking into the eyes of the amazing creatures captured in this film and not see the innate similarities between monkeys and humans, there’s something wrong.
Much is being said about the violent and predatory nature of monkeys. True, it does seem shocking at first. However, once you look beyond the gore, I don’t think it’s anymore graphic than human nature. We are just more insulated from the rawness… especially in American culture. If they allowed all of the images of violence in American culture [or any culture for that matter] to be aired on TV, the debate between who has a more predatory nature would be a toss-up.
It was only after watching this documentary that I was overwhelmed by the feeling that humans truly are the most ignorant and arrogant of primates. Some monkeys are thinkers… some monkeys fling poop. I think all are pretty well represented here in these comments.
The show was/is second to none. It seems the more intelligent the species, the more complex the God
Hence ; Intelligent Design/Creationism now includes Evolution of the most Religious/Deserving
It’s how God Designed it.
Great show. It’s amazing to see how many of them are clever enough to post messages here
Many of the “bible thumpers” or white neo-Christians, to be a little more polite, object to being related to primates, due to racist views. Their prime argument is “Where are the missing links?” I have personally met many of these links. Before any of the racists among us get too gleeful; I am referring individuals who pass for humans (generally European with subtle Neanderthal features) though they attempt communication with grunts, and their big toes and thumbs grow at a right-angle from feet and hands. They may be lovable or mean. I have met both. If we open our eyes we will not need to look far or long to see some excellent specimens.
great show. Both informative and entertaining. PBS Nature show has become a routine viewing for me every Sunday and Monday nights.
This episode was amazing – very captivating! I only wish I had an opportunity to watch it again.
i love monkeys.they are soooooooo cute & smart!!!
I loved this episode! I’ve been hung up on Planet Earth, and just discovered Nature, I’m so excited to watch ALL of the episodes! haha.
Listen:
There can be no doubt, that Religion/God is a Light in the darkness for many
and that’s cool, only don’t Project your morality
on those that aren’t so scared of personal mortality
That they project their programmed subjective realities
on others
No
Being an atheist and a person of science, I am so grateful for programs like this.
I feel the same affirmation in my own beliefs when seeing this type of episode as a religious person feels in theirs when they site the ’spirit’ moving them.
To Klee: My suggestion to you is to see things in that light – religious people use their faith to believe in their religions, whereas I use science to believe in mine. Both are constantly in flux, whether people admit it or not. My observation of animal behavior confirms my beliefs, the same way someone’s faith confirms theirs. Religious people can no more ‘prove’ their beliefs than I can, but as ‘faith’ is enough for them to believe their theories, ‘research’ is also enough for me.
That being said, I did not find the research behind this episode to have an anthropomorphous slant as you did. Personally, I do not find the majority of science to be so egotistical that it must humanize everything it touches. The same, however, I cannot say for religion. I find many aspects of indoctrinated religious beliefs egotistical, offensive and narrow-minded, and I include all religions in that statement. People who believe in a religion would, naturally, disagree with me.
Whether you want to believe in creationism or evolution will always remain your own choice. But rather than this episode trying to prove that ‘monkeys are just like us’, I think it was trying to point out that we are more like monkeys than most people are willing to believe. Since I believe that common ancestors came before both monkeys and humans, I cannot call this research anthropomorphized.
What was the name of the primate that flipped its top ‘lip’ to show its teeth?
Stunning to watch and fascinating to see how sophisticated and intelligent some species of monkeys are. It is startling clear how much humans have in common with them. I loved this show!
I found this episode of Nature extremely fascinating. Wow, just wow. I could hardly believe the mourning during the death of the previous lead monkey they seemed to perform.
I don’t like murderous monkeys.
(They sell these as pets?!)
The Tamil language has the same word to denote both “stone” and “learn”. If stone tool making is first taught skill among monkeys, then I guess monkeys used the same word for both. So I wonder if Tamil language has retained a piece of the monkey language as it evolved into a human language.
In regard to comment #21, the correct spelling is—anthropomorphically.
I loved Clever Monkeys. My 4- year old son and my 15 yr old daughter watched it.She is extremely fond of monkeys and she did not want to leave the room during its showing.We enjoyed is so much I am going to purchase it as a Christmas gift.
well this episode is so cute. I just love monkeys because they have energy and those who were born in the year of the monkey are very curious and have a lot of energy and have a lot of fun at what they are doing and i always watch Nature and post comments on here to put my saying forward and it is awesom because i have fun saying what i need to say and i know other people have saind the same thing. I just got done saying about in my last comment on the wild mustangs, about how people a re killing these beautiful animals just because they feel like it and i am totally against that so i hope u guyse put your comments on there because i am a huge animal lover no matter what type they are or what they look like and i hope you out there think so to because i love them!!!!!!!!!!!!!
this website gives alot of information on different kinds of animals and im glad you have info on monkeys cause i love em!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i LOVE MONKEYS
:)
Im ten and I love monkeys
I just caught the last 20 minutes of the monkeys again-I HAVE GOT to see this one all the way through. This episode is just about the most-amazing? I’ve seen yet. Clever? Understatement of the centuries–. Oobviously, man is not the only intelligent creature on the planet. By the way, who is destroying this planet piece by piece, and species by species? Not the clever monkeys. Once again-animals have it over us in just so many ways. I wish my “family” showed that level of loyalty and protection and caring. The narrator? He just keeps on telling it like no one else can. The music during the nutcracker scene? Hilarious- my jaw hurt from laughing so hard. Now, If this intelligent species can only remember to set my reminder so I can see it in entirety next time…should have asked the monkey….
I watch tehshow in PBS last night, consider a beautiful work, I enjoyed very much except for the narrator telling as true fact the theory about evolution and the human being relationship descending from apes. I think is better to say something for example :”there is a theory not proven yet about humans being related as descendents of apes.” I dont have a problem with mentioning a theory, but telling a child “your ancle is this ape ” is a little over the truth. Thanks
What kind of pet does squrrel monkey make?