A video of a chimpanzee knocking down a television station's drone went viral in April, but a new study of it reveals there was much more behind the chimp's simple actions. The chimp, a resident at Burgers' Zoo in Arnhem, Netherlands, swiped twice at the drone and successfully batted it out of the sky on the second try, and the funny video of it was shared on social media. Researchers from the zoo analyzed the footage and have now concluded the actions of the chimp, a female named Tushi, were deliberate and represented a tool use act.

The chimpanzee colony at the zoo previously showed tool use behavior, according to the researchers. The chimps evaluate items -- based on size and weight -- for specific purposes or tasks. Researchers have observed chimps using tree trunks to create ladders while other objects have been used as bowls to carry water.

"Heavy pieces of wood and stones are chosen as throwing weapons, as happened, for instance, during an experiment in which a stuffed lion was suddenly revealed on the outer side of the moat surrounding the field," the researchers wrote. The study was published in the journal Primates. The social behavior of the chimps has been the source of many studies.

In April, a Dutch TV crew was filming a segment on the zoo and was collecting aerial footage of several enclosures using a GoPro camera attached to a drone. The branch used by Tushi to knock down the drone was a willow twig measuring around 6 feet in length. Chimps eat the lining of willow branches and play with the remnants, according to the researchers.

While the available video only shows a portion of what was recorded that day, researchers had access to all of the footage. A few test runs were performed prior to the drone getting knocked down and researchers observed several chimps, including Tushi and a male named Raimee, grabbing branches and climbing up the scaffolding. As the drone flew closer to the chimps, Tushi walked toward the object and swung the branch.

"The sequence of events is highly suggestive of an interpretation of the use of the stick as a planned, deliberate action to 'attack' the drone (agonistically motivated) or 'find out about' the drone (curiosity motivated), given the decision to collect the stick and take it to a place where the drone might come within reach," the researchers explained.

After the drone was knocked down, a few chimps handled the object, but quickly lost interest.