I’m the king of the zingers! Chimpanzee’s joke gets riotous response from young primates 

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These adorable pictures show the moment a pair of chimps appeared to enjoy a laugh together as they bonded in their natural environment.

The small community of chimps, which are a species of great ape, are native to sub-Saharan Africa and are found in the Congo jungle. 

The photographer captured these amazing shots of the creatures bonding and appearing to giggle as they communicate with one another.

In another picture a baby chimp clings to its mother's back as she carries him around their jungle home, while other candid shots show a primate enjoying a snack.

Chimpanzees live in groups which range in size from 15 to 150 members, although individuals travel and forage in much smaller groups during the day.

They live in male-dominated strict hierarchies which means disputes can generally be settled without the need for violence. 

A recent study found when looking for fruit to eat, chimpanzees use their hands to inspect the specimens - and researchers think this can help us to understand why we first started to use tools.  

A separate study discovered that, like chimps, young children used rudimentary tools when faced with tricky tasks.

Two and three year-olds employed sticks as rakes, skewers, hammers and levers when asked to solve a series of unfamiliar puzzles.

The find contradicts the theory that children learn how to use tools from watching adults. And it shows that we have more in common with our great ape cousins than we may like to think.

Chimps and orangutans instinctively use tools to help them flush out tasty insects, crack nuts, ‘fish’ for honey and extract seeds from fruits. 

These adorable pictures show the moment a pair of chimps appeared to enjoy a laugh together as they bonded in their natural environment

The small community of chimps, which are a species of great ape, are native to sub-Saharan Africa and are found in the Congo jungle

The photographer captured these amazing shots of the creatures bonding and appearing to giggle as they communicate with one another

Chimpanzees live in groups which range in size from 15 to 150 members, although individuals travel and forage in much smaller groups

The species lives in a male-dominated, strict hierarchy, which means disputes can generally be settled without the need for violence