Scientists claim to have uncovered evidence which shows how chimpanzees plan for the future.
A study published in Current Biology observed the actions of a male chimpanzee at a zoo and recorded how he collected stones and fashioned concrete discs which he would later throw at visitors.
Mathias Osvath, from Lund University, said the observations convincingly show how apes consider the future in "a very complex way".
"It implies that they have a highly developed consciousness, including life-like mental simulations of potential events," he said.
"They most probably have an 'inner world' like we have when reviewing past episodes of our lives or thinking of days to come. When wild chimps collect stones or go out to war, they probably plan this in advance. I would guess that they plan much of their everyday behaviour."
The scientists claim their study shows how chimps don't simply react to immediate circumstances with a "current drive state", highlighting how the chimp was in a calm state when collecting the stones compared to the agitated state he was in when throwing the items at visitors.
Mr Osvath also says he thinks wild chimps, in general, probably have the planning ability demonstrated by the individual in captivity.
"I think that wild chimpanzees might be even better at planning as they probably rely on it for their daily survival," he added.
"The environment in a zoo is far less complex than in a forest. Zoo chimps never have to encounter the dangers in the forest or live through periods of scarce food. Planning would prove its value in 'real life' much more than in a zoo."
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