05-11-2012, 03:25 PM
This story from the HLN website is interesting. Orangutans are fascinating, imo...
![[Image: th?id=I4833603999236243&pid=1.7&w=207&h=142&c=7]](http://ts4.mm.bing.net/th?id=I4833603999236243&pid=1.7&w=207&h=142&c=7)
Further solidifying our apparent link to apes, it turns out that in addition to sharing an impressive knack for charity and long, dangly limbs, we also have strikingly similar tastes in entertainment options.
A handful of zoos across the country have introduced iPads to orangutans and -- not only have they not smashed them to bits -- the primates are successfully using the tablets to communicate with humans.
Orangutans have long been regarded as among the animal kingdom's more intelligent members (even capable of stacking Legos) and zoologists think the iPad is an excellent way to keep them sharp. Orangutan Outreach is behind the Apps for Apes project and says the animals "require mental stimulation to keep from growing bored and depressed."
"The device will also be incredibly useful for educating orangutans in rehabilitation programs. It can show images of foods they can eat as well as those to avoid. They will be able to learn about predators and learn how to climb... by watching video footage of orangutans in action," the group says.
Linda Jacobs oversees the program at Miami's Jungle Island and told Wired "I think there’s no limit to what they can learn."
She says they're using the iPads to teach the animals how to recognize different objects and select preferences, even giving "them a choice in what they have for dinner -- show them pictures of every vegetable we have available that day, and let them pick." Zookeepers already communicate with the six Jungle Island primates by using sign language, but the new tech tool offers a whole new level of engagement and opportunity for expression.
But not all the zoo's orangutans are enthusiastic about the shiny new toys. Jacobs says it turns out the teenagers are crazy for it -- but the older apes just can't get into this newfangled i-Thingy. It's like the primate equivalent of your parents getting frustrated trying to figure out "how to just make a simple, darn phone call!" on a smartphone, while the children easily master the new gadget.
However, none of the orangutans -- young or old -- actually get to hold the iPads, for fairly obvious reasons. Instead, zoo employees hold them right up to the cage allowing the animals to manipulate the touchscreens with their fingers.
Among the more common apps being used are those that involve art, according to Trish Khan at the Milwaukee County Zoo, which has also introduced the program. Specifically, she says they use a basic drawing app called Doodle Buddy.
She also says they also want to let the orangutans have cross-country playdates by hosting video chats on the tablets with primates in other zoos. Khan says the animals at her zoo already enjoy watching videos of other orangutans swinging from trees and playing in their habitats, so the live interactions would probably go over very well.
According to Apps for Apes, the Skype sessions may even "allow some orangutans to see and interact with others of their own species for the first time in their lives."
Further solidifying our apparent link to apes, it turns out that in addition to sharing an impressive knack for charity and long, dangly limbs, we also have strikingly similar tastes in entertainment options.
A handful of zoos across the country have introduced iPads to orangutans and -- not only have they not smashed them to bits -- the primates are successfully using the tablets to communicate with humans.
Orangutans have long been regarded as among the animal kingdom's more intelligent members (even capable of stacking Legos) and zoologists think the iPad is an excellent way to keep them sharp. Orangutan Outreach is behind the Apps for Apes project and says the animals "require mental stimulation to keep from growing bored and depressed."
"The device will also be incredibly useful for educating orangutans in rehabilitation programs. It can show images of foods they can eat as well as those to avoid. They will be able to learn about predators and learn how to climb... by watching video footage of orangutans in action," the group says.
Linda Jacobs oversees the program at Miami's Jungle Island and told Wired "I think there’s no limit to what they can learn."
She says they're using the iPads to teach the animals how to recognize different objects and select preferences, even giving "them a choice in what they have for dinner -- show them pictures of every vegetable we have available that day, and let them pick." Zookeepers already communicate with the six Jungle Island primates by using sign language, but the new tech tool offers a whole new level of engagement and opportunity for expression.
But not all the zoo's orangutans are enthusiastic about the shiny new toys. Jacobs says it turns out the teenagers are crazy for it -- but the older apes just can't get into this newfangled i-Thingy. It's like the primate equivalent of your parents getting frustrated trying to figure out "how to just make a simple, darn phone call!" on a smartphone, while the children easily master the new gadget.
However, none of the orangutans -- young or old -- actually get to hold the iPads, for fairly obvious reasons. Instead, zoo employees hold them right up to the cage allowing the animals to manipulate the touchscreens with their fingers.
Among the more common apps being used are those that involve art, according to Trish Khan at the Milwaukee County Zoo, which has also introduced the program. Specifically, she says they use a basic drawing app called Doodle Buddy.
She also says they also want to let the orangutans have cross-country playdates by hosting video chats on the tablets with primates in other zoos. Khan says the animals at her zoo already enjoy watching videos of other orangutans swinging from trees and playing in their habitats, so the live interactions would probably go over very well.
According to Apps for Apes, the Skype sessions may even "allow some orangutans to see and interact with others of their own species for the first time in their lives."
![[Image: Zy3rKpW.png]](https://i.imgur.com/Zy3rKpW.png)
I think you've just found your rationalization for getting one. Even the apes have 'em. Evolution demands that you indulge yourself.
