Orangutans and iPads at Miami Zoo a Big Hit
Orangutans in Florida are getting into the technology craze as well; they have started using iPads as a way to communicate with each other and their handlers.
The orangutans are part of a new program at Miami's Jungle Island Zoo which aims to close the communication barrier between humans and the primate companions through a mental stimulus program, according to AP.
"Our young ones pick up on it. They understand it. It's like, `Oh I get this' … Our two older ones, they just are not interested. I think they just figure, `I've gotten along just fine in this world without this communication-skill here and the iPad, and I don't need a computer,'" Linda Jacobs, the programs director, said.
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Orangutans have long since been able to communicate with their handlers using a simple hand gestures and sign language. They are able to respond to basic questions and are even able to identify specific body parts should one become hurt or injured.
The new program will offer the chance for regular people to be able to communicate with them in a controlled environment. Jacobs explains that orangutans are extremely intelligent but lack the physical characteristics, such as vocal cords, to communicate with people.
"They have the intelligence that they need to communicate, but they don't have the right equipment, because they don't have voice boxes or vocal cords. So this gives them a way to let us know what they know, what they are capable of, what they would like to have," she said.
Birute Mary Galdikas, founder of Orangutan Foundation International, is not surprised that the orangutans have fared so well in the new program.
"Anything that Jungle Island can do to help their orangutans while away the day is to be commended," Galdikas said.
"IPads seem to work for humans. It's not surprising that orangutans, who share 97 percent of their genetic material with humans, like them, too," he added.
