Chimps get fussier about who their friends are as they get older - just like humans do

Chimpanzees get more selective over who they associate themselves with as they age, new research reveals. In a study spanning two decades in a Ugandan national park, US experts observed social interactions among 21 wild male chimps, ranging in age from 15 to 58 years. Both chimps and humans prefer to be around the company of old friends and spend less time among new faces, the experts conclude. Ageing male chimps have more mutual and positive friendships than younger chimps, who have more one-sided, antagonistic relationships. Chimps also showed a shift from negative interactions to more positive ones as they reached their twilight years, 'like humans looking for some peace and quiet'.