Pre-reading questions:
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- Have animals ever acted strangely in front of you? If so, what did the animal do? If not, what strange behavior would surprise you?
- Do you know animals that take care of babies that are not their own? If so, what animals are they? If not, why might animals do that?
Vocabulary:
I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.
- behavior /bih-HEYV-yer /
- record /ri-KAWRD/
- researcher /REE-sr-chr/
- rule out /ROOL-OWT/
- hunger /HUHNG-ger/
[noun] – the way a person or animal acts or does things
The dog’s friendly behavior made everyone smile.
[verb] – to keep information about something, often using a camera or writing
The teacher recorded the lesson with her phone.
[noun] – a person who studies a subject to find new information
The researcher studied fish in the lake.
[phrasal verb] – to decide something is not possible or not true
The doctor ruled out a cold after the test.
[noun] – the feeling of needing or wanting food
The baby cried from hunger.
Article reading:
Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.
Between 2022 and 2023, a strange behavior was seen on a small island in Panama. Male capuchin monkeys were recorded carrying baby howler monkeys. This happened while researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute were studying tool use. Over 80 cameras captured at least 11 cases. Most of the baby howlers were very young and still needed their mothers. These two types of monkeys are not closely related. Experts said that this kind of action had never been documented before. The study was shared in the scientific journal Current Biology.
Researchers believed that the first case happened because of a confused caring instinct. A male capuchin acted very gently with the baby. Later, other young males copied this peculiar behavior. The capuchins did not try to eat the babies, so experts ruled out hunting. Sadly, many of the baby howlers may have died from hunger. Some were even carried after death. Similar actions were seen in other animals like whales and gorillas. Scientists said this showed the diversity of animal behavior. It also emphasized the need to study how animals think and learn. So far, only one group of capuchins has shown this exceptional behavior.
Researchers believed that the first case happened because of a confused caring instinct. A male capuchin acted very gently with the baby. Later, other young males copied this peculiar behavior. The capuchins did not try to eat the babies, so experts ruled out hunting. Sadly, many of the baby howlers may have died from hunger. Some were even carried after death. Similar actions were seen in other animals like whales and gorillas. Scientists said this showed the diversity of animal behavior. It also emphasized the need to study how animals think and learn. So far, only one group of capuchins has shown this exceptional behavior.
Comprehension questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them based on the article.
- Where did the strange behavior happen?
- What type of monkeys carried baby howlers?
- What were researchers studying at that time?
- How many cases were captured on camera?
- Why was this action special?
Discussion questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- Have you ever seen an animal take care of a different animal? If so, what did it do? If not, why do you think it might happen?
- Have you watched a documentary about animal behavior? If so, what did you learn? If not, would you like to?
- Do you agree that animals can sometimes act in surprising ways?
- What can people learn from strange actions seen in animals?
- Should scientists use cameras to watch animals in the wild? Why or why not?