BBC Learning English.

Laughter is a universal language for humans to connect with each other and form social bonds.

Even as babies, we giggle when our parents pull funny faces, and then gradually learn to make others laugh as we grow up.

But, is it a uniquely human experience?

Scientists have observed behaviours in animals that suggest that your pets might be secret jokesters…

Have you ever seen dogs let people come close to their toy, and then playfully run away with it?

Biologist Charles Darwin saw this as the dog's version of a practical joke.

Marc Bekoff, biology professor at the University of Colorado, also observed dogs playfully teasing each other by approaching slowly and then quickly running away.

His work concluded that dogs just want to have fun, and he's also said that animals may goof around as a way to cope with stress.

In a 2024 study, Isabelle Laumer and colleagues watched four ape species interact with each other and observed 18 distinct teasing behaviours.