Study Finds Urination Contagious Among Chimpanzees

Peeing is contagious in chimpanzees, study suggests

A new study finds that captive chimpanzees may sometimes catch the urge to pee from other chimps.

Is peeing contagious, like yawning? Scientists studying chimps may have the answer

Japanese scientists have discovered that chimpanzees are more likely to urinate when they see other primates going No. 1 as well.

For Chimpanzees, Peeing May Be Contagious—Just Like Yawning Is for Humans, Study Finds

Scientists suggest captive chimpanzees engage in 'socially contagious urination'—that is, when one primate starts peeing, others quickly follow suit

Peeing Can Be Contagious for Both People and Chimps

Researchers at Kyoto University have found that contagious peeing is common among chimps at a local sanctuary.

It is well known that people occasionally go to the toilet together. A team from Kyoto University has now discovered that chimpanzees also urinate in groups. And this probably has mainly social reasons.

Japanese researchers watched chimpanzees peeing 1300 times. The conclusion: The moment when they go to the toilet is not chosen at random. The researchers have a hypothesis for this.