Which great ape uses grass blades to extract termites?

The chimpanzee is the great ape known for using grass blades and other plant tools to extract termites.

A chimpanzee inserts a blade of grass, twig, vine, or specially prepared stem into a termite mound. Termites bite the probe with their mandibles, allowing the chimpanzee to withdraw it and sweep the insects into its mouth. This behavior is often called termite fishing or termite dipping.

Jane Goodall famously observed this behavior at Gombe National Park in Tanzania in 1960, when a chimpanzee named David Greybeard used grass to gather termites. The observation helped overturn the idea that tool manufacture and use uniquely separated humans from other animals.

Chimpanzee tool traditions differ between communities. Some groups modify twigs by stripping leaves or making brush-tipped probes, while others use different materials or techniques depending on the termite species and nest structure. Bonobos can use tools, especially in captivity, but grass-probe termite fishing is most strongly associated with chimpanzees in the wild.