12th May 2009

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Orangutan attempts escape, rethinks

May might as well be named “escape month.” Another attempt, this time a monkey in Australia, but despite extremely well-laid plans, the animal aborted her zoobreak at the last minute.

Karta (r.), one of the star orangutans of the Adelaide Zoo, short-circuited the electric fence surrounding her exhibit by jamming a stick into the wires. Then she made a ladder out of debris and climbed a concrete and glass wall. The view from the top: freedom.

Karta’s keepers sounded the alarm and readied tranquilizer guns, reports say, and the zoo was evacuated and closed for the day. But after sitting atop the fence for about half an hour, the 27-year-old primate returned to the confines of her habitat. Her exibit is now closed for safety modifications.

Zoo curator Peter Whitehead told reporters, “We’ve had issues with her before in normal day-to-day operations where she tries to outsmart the keepers. She’s an ingenious animal.”

Tags orangutansmonkeysescapes

13th April 2009

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These orangutans long for privacy

Conservationists in Indonesia have discovered a colony of between 1,000 and 2,000 orangutans in a remote corner of mountainous jungle.

The discovery is a significant boost to the world orangutan population. The endangered species resides primarily in Indonesia and Malaysia and scientists estimate that between 50,000 and 60,000 are left in the wild.

The secret orangutan pod is squirreled away on the steep slopes of Indonesia’s rugged limestone mountains. When discovered, the apes were displeased. One adult male “angrily threw branches” at the research team as they tried to take photos.

Tags orangutansmonkeysdiscoveries