We share 96 percent of out DNA with Chimpanzees. So, unsurprisingly, they tend to do things that are scarily similar to us.
For instance, there is a female Western Lowland Gorilla named Koko who can speak fluent Sign Language, and had a pet named All Ball, because she thought that it looked like a ball.
Koko also had a fondness for Robin Williams, as she enjoys watching his movies. One day, she got to meet the famous actor, and immediately made the connection between him and his movies.
Sadly, when he passed, her caretakers told her. She proceeded to sign "Cry" "Sad" and "Bad".
Turning the focus to wild apes, wild Sumatran Orangutans have been seen using human tools (such as boats) and also have been seen fashioning umbrellas from large leaves. Even more shocking, they have been seen to wash their hands with soap and faces with washcloths, and even seen washing clothes!
Back in captivity, there is a Bonobo (a subspecies of Chimpanzee) at Georgia State Language Research Center named Kanzi who can use a lexigram. A lexigram is like a keyboard, but except for letters, it uses hundreds of small images that represent words. He even knows how to start a fire to roast marshmallows!
A massive defining feature of these Great Apes is the fact that they can recognize themselves in a mirror, which, in fact, monkeys cannot do. This ability is only reserved for Great Apes, Humans, Dolphins, Elephants and actually, eurasian magpies.
Seeing that these magnificent creatures are so incredibly intelligent and kind, it makes one sad to know that they are poached, treated horribly for entertainment reasons, and severely misunderstood in certain situations. With highly intelligent brains that are capable of things astonishingly similar to that of humans, maybe Planet of the Apes is a real possibility..