Items tagged with orangutan
Great ape keepers at the Smithsonian's National Zoo found themselves inspired by an "Apps for Apes" program that's been implemented in a dozen zoos around the world, and so they decided to try it out with their six orangutans. Each orangutan is able to interact with an iPad tablet, though only if they show interest. It's not required that they spend time tapping the touchscreen, though many of them seem to be enjoying the experience, such as 36-year-old Bonnie who likes to bang on the drums. "Apps for Apes fits perfectly in this new era of zoo keeping," said Becky Malinsky, great ape keeper at the National Zoo. "It's about changing up the day-to-day lives of our animals. We already vary their...
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He's a story that gives new meaning to the term "monkeying around". Zoo Atlanta has been encouraging Sumatran Orangutans to interact with touch screens incorporated into a fake tree, in an effort to study their cognitive abilities. "Four-year-old Bernas isn't the computer wizard his mom is, but he's learning. Just the other day he used his lips and feet to play a game on the touch-screen monitor as his mom, Madu, swung from vines and climbed trees. The two Sumatran orangutans at Zoo Atlanta are playing computer games while researchers study the cognitive skills of the orange and brown primates. The best part? Zoo visitors get to watch their every move."Zoo officials hope the exhibit will raise...
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