These protected areas are not only important for the conservation of species they contain, they also hold the key to comparing our own development as a species with our next of kin.

Tool usage in wild apes provides us with valuable insights into the evolution of our own species and the abilities of other species. Seeing it for the first time in gorillas is important on many different levels.

We've been observing gorillas for 10 years here, and we have two cases of them using detached objects as tools.

This is a truly astounding discovery.

It was quite surprising to me and my team to make this observation.

What's fascinating about these observations is the similarity between what these creatures have done, and what we do in the context of crossing a pond.

The most astonishing thing is that we have observed them using tools not for obtaining food, but for postural support.

Everybody is excited about such spectacular observations but we should hurry up with our efforts to guarantee them a future.

Very often the use of tools is triggered by certain needs and it seems that gorillas have only little needs to use tools in the wild.