Bananas? We don't need no stinkin' bananas. At least Kanzi the bonobo doesn't. He taught himself how to make fire and cook food.

Chimpanzees have their own emergency broadcast system. They use special sounds to warn their unaware friends about danger, but they don't send out a warning when the other chimpanzees already see it. This turns the belief that only humans recognize that others are not informed on its head.

Shiny Things | cc by 2.0

Clever pigeons are once again showing why "birdbrain" is a compliment. The birds are proving that they can count by putting groups of items in order by quantity.

We all read City Mouse, Country Mouse, but what about city bird, country bird? When flirting, urban birds adjust their voices to be heard over the din of the city, so they sing differently from their country cousins.

Deer and cows certainly aren't cousins, but they can become best friends. When a cow named Wanda escaped from a farm, she eluded capture for five months, living with a herd of deer who would stomp on the ground to let Wanda know that their acute senses detected people approaching. Wanda now has a home on a farm and is not in danger of being slaughtered.

Of course, for a best friend whose loyalty is unmatched, one need look no further than a dog. A Russian dog stood guard over the body of his deceased canine companion for two weeks in temperatures of negative-58 degrees Fahrenheit. Animal advocates caught him and took him to a local animal shelter, where he will stay while they search for a permanent home.

For more amazing animal stories, check out an article on the new book Animal Tool Behavior.

Jeroen Kransen/cc by 2.0

 
In the words of Bruno Mars, whose hilarious video for "The Lazy Song" wisely features men in ape masks instead of the real (cruel) thing, these animals are amazing—just the way they are:

• These critics aren't shy about spilling the beans on their favorite eateries. Who knew that bonobos were foodies?
• "You lookin' at me?" Octopuses keep their friends and enemies close.
• "Bird brain" can actually mean a lot of different things, like "smart," "shy," "outgoing," or "curious."
• Long before the Beatles, we had the soulful stylings of the crickets.
• Row, row! The fire ant crew team remains unbeaten.
• Dogs are a girl's best friend. Did you ever hear a diamond cry at a homecoming?

Written by Michelle Sherrow

citypages / CC

They're smart, playful, and ridiculously adorable—but they don't belong in ads.

The hip swimwear and clothing company Bonobos has shown that it's a champion for chimpanzees by pulling from its Web site a video that featured a chimpanzee cavorting in swim trunks.

Once Bonobos gave it some thought (maybe after its staff filled up on what must be their favorite brain food), it didn't seem like such a great (ape) idea to support an industry that captures baby apes and keeps them isolated in cages. The company realized that ads making apes look cute and clownish misrepresent these wild animals, who often end up dumped in roadside zoos when they get too large and strong to manage.

Here's what the company had to say:

And what brought about the company's change of conscience? People like you!

Three cheers to Bonobos! It's one more company—like Sprint Nextel, Gap, and SEGA—that has realized that apes do not aspire to be models or actors (even if they do seem cuter and more intelligent than some former child stars).

Written by Heather Drennan