Nuts are, after all, an important part of their diet. The accomplishments of apes in captivity look more impressive. What is probably more impressive than the achievements of the apes themselves are the persistent efforts of the trainers who manage to get them somewhere near to the level of a toddler. Most importantly, apes never develop the ability to use language to regulate their own actions. It is when thought and speech come together that children's thinking is raised to new heights and they start acquiring truly human characteristics.
Language becomes a tool of thought allowing children increasingly to master their own behaviour.
A human child, even as young as three years of age, is head and shoulders above any ape. It is very difficult to sustain the argument that apes are 'just like us'. The fact that this assertion has gained backing from scientists reflects more a change in perspective than a response to new scientific discoveries. What appears to be behind the fashionable view of ape and human equivalence is a denigration of human capacities and human ingenuity. This is the most disturbing aspect of the discussion.