Humans aren’t the only ones who come up with secret hand signals. Turns out, wild chimpanzees do it too! A recent study highlights a heartwarming example of this behavior between a mother chimp named Beryl and her daughter, Lindsay, living in Uganda’s Kibale National Park. When Lindsay wants a piggyback ride, she places one hand over her mom’s eye—a gesture no other chimp has been seen using. It’s their own special way of communicating, almost like an inside joke. Researchers have been studying this chimp community, called Ngogo, since the 1990s. The chimps are so used to humans that scientists can observe them up close, capturing fascinating details about their lives. Chimpanzees are known for their wide range of gestures, with over 80 documented so far. These include asking for food, inviting grooming, or even telling someone to stop. But what makes Beryl and Lindsay’s hand-eye gesture stand out is how personal it is—something only the two of them share. Experts say this discovery shows just how much chimps and humans have in common when it comes to communication. “It’s like those little quirks or inside jokes we have with our closest friends or family,” one researcher noted. This finding adds to the growing evidence that animals, especially primates, have complex and meaningful ways of connecting with each other. Who knew chimps could be so relatable? ---