You’ll never guess what’s on the Christmas list for orangutans this year? iPads, apparently.
Genetically, they are one of the closest living things to humans and now it looks like orangutans (or orang-utans) have the same taste in entertainment as we do.
It might sound a bit strange, but it’s true. A growing number of zoo workers in the States are using the Apple iPad as a learning tool for their apes, according to John Tesh.
In Milwaukee’s County Zoo, the orangutans have a weekly iPad session where they finger paint with the DrawFree app, play games and watch videos.
Executive Director of Orangutan Outreach, Richard Zimmerman, said that the animals are highly intelligent, and need mental stimulation to keep them from getting bored or depressed. The iPads are providing that much needed stimulation.
Orangutans are like humans when it comes to boredom and depression. Sometimes they can become so depressed that they refuse food, and even medicine.
This is why more and more zoo keepers are warming to the idea of giving their apes iPads, so that they’ll stay entertained. Some are even calling the iPad a ‘lifesaver’.
It’s a bit of a strange on alright, but at least the orangutans aren’t bored off their tits anymore.
