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Great Apes
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In captivity, gorillas and chimpanzees have learned to use many different tools. Until recently, wild gorillas were not observed using rocks for anything but throwing at enemies. In the 2005 National Geographic News, James Owen reported on a Central African female gorilla using rocks to break open palm nuts. Wild chimpanzees have always been observed using rocks as hammers and anvils to remove food from hard nuts. The chimpanzees learn specific techniques to open each type of nut.
Monkeys
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The capuchin monkeys of Brazil and the long-tailed macaques of Thailand both use rocks as tools in their hunt for food. The capuchins use rocks for digging and breaking soil tubers and for chopping into hollow trees to get insects. Also, they use heavy rocks to smash open nuts. The macaques in Thailand were observed using rocks to smash oysters, crabs and gastropods in their quest for food.
Otter
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Sea otters float on their backs, while they open mussels with a rock on their chest. Otters have consistently been observed using rocks to crack open their food. They dive to the ocean floor to collect mussels, oysters and crustaceans. Then, the otters use either a rock to hit and break the food open or they pound their food on a rock to open it. The whole cracking procedure is completed on their chest while they are floating on their backs in the water.
Birds
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Many types of birds use stick-like objects to obtain food from small spaces, but only a few have been observed using rocks to assist in food retrieval. The Egyptian vulture uses rock-throwing to crack open and eat large ostrich eggs. A rook, an Old World crow, uses suitable sized rocks dropped into water to bring floating food closer to itself. The rocks displace the water in small crevices or containers, which forces the water to a higher level, allowing the floating food to come within reach.
Elephants
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Elephants use many types of tools with their trunks, but unlike other animals, they use rocks as destructive tools. Elephants will accurately throw rocks at humans, animals and objects. They use the rocks as damaging weapons. Also, they have been known to drop large rocks onto electrical fences to disable the electricity, thus enabling them to pass through the fence.
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Animals That Use Rocks As Tools
Many animals use rocks as tools. Some use rocks as hammers or anvils to crack open food. Others use them as weapons to throw at enemies. These animals make a logical choice in their decision to use a particular shape or size of rock, choosing the best tool for the job. They learn to choose the best tools by trial and error, just as humans learn.