Apes Show Signs of Imagination in Pretend Play Experiment

Kanzi the bonobo demonstrates ability to distinguish real from imaginary in tea party scenario

Published on Feb. 7, 2026

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In a first-of-its-kind experiment, researchers found that the bonobo Kanzi, who was raised in a lab and learned to communicate with humans, displayed signs of being able to engage in pretend play. When presented with a pretend tea party scenario, Kanzi was able to distinguish between real and imaginary juice, suggesting he has the capacity for imagination that was previously thought to be uniquely human.

Why it matters

The study provides evidence that the capacity for imagination and pretend play may not be exclusive to humans, but could have evolutionary roots shared with our closest genetic relatives, the great apes. This challenges the long-held belief that imagination is a uniquely human trait and opens up new avenues for understanding the cognitive abilities of apes.

The details

In the experiment, researchers adapted methods used to study pretend play in young children and applied them to the bonobo Kanzi. They staged a pretend tea party, pouring imaginary juice into cups and then pretending to empty just one. When asked which cup still had juice, Kanzi pointed to the full cup 68% of the time, suggesting he could distinguish the real from the imaginary. A control test with real juice further confirmed Kanzi's ability to tell the difference. A similar experiment with fake grapes also yielded positive results.

  • The study was published on February 8, 2026 in the journal Science.
  • Kanzi, the bonobo who participated in the study, passed away in 2025 at the age of 44.

The players

Kanzi

A bonobo who was raised in a lab and became skilled at communicating with humans using graphic symbols. He was the subject of the pretend play experiment.

Christopher Krupenye

A co-author of the study and researcher at Johns Hopkins University.

Amalia Bastos

A co-author of the study and researcher at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.

Michael Tomasello

A comparative psychologist at Duke University who was not involved in the study but expressed skepticism about the interpretation of Kanzi's behavior as true pretend play.

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What they’re saying

“What's really exciting about this work is that it suggests that the roots of this capacity for imagination are not unique to our species.”

— Christopher Krupenye, Study co-author (kslnewsradio.com)

“To be convinced of that I would need to see Kanzi actually pretend to pour water into a container himself.”

— Michael Tomasello (kslnewsradio.com)

“Kanzi opened this path for a lot of future studies.”

— Amalia Bastos, Study co-author (kslnewsradio.com)

What’s next

Researchers plan to conduct further studies to determine if the capacity for imagination and pretend play extends to other great ape species, and to better understand the evolutionary origins of this cognitive ability.

The takeaway

This study challenges the long-held belief that imagination and pretend play are uniquely human traits, suggesting that the roots of these abilities may be shared with our closest genetic relatives, the great apes. The findings open up new avenues for understanding the cognitive capacities of apes and their evolutionary relationship to humans.