Bumblebees have surprisingly expansive cognitive abilities—including the capacity for enjoyment
“More play in younger individuals could be linked to preparing individuals for the world they find themselves in,” says
This paper includes one of the “best experiments” about animal play because it carefully tested all these metrics, says Burghardt, who wasn’t involved in this study. For instance, in this experiment, ball rolling never resulted in the provision of food. The bees’ nectar and pollen could be easily accessed in a separate room without ever having to interact with the balls. The bees never attempted to bite or extend their proboscis toward the balls in search of a sugary reward. Plus, most importantly, they came back to roll the ball one additional day or two different additional days even after foraging.