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In this
Feb. 21, 2012 photo, after being told a word, an orangutan points to
that
object on an IPAd at Jungle Island in Miami. Experts who work with
primates
have been using sign language and other methods to communicate
with apes for
years. But with advancements in tablet computer technology,
workers at Jungle
Island in Miami are using iPads to better communicate with
their orangutans. (AP
Photo/J Pat Carter)
|
MIAMI (AP)
— The 8-year-old twins love their iPad. They draw, play games and expand their
vocabulary. Their family's teenagers also like the hand-held computer tablets,
too, but the clan's elders show no interest.
The
orangutans at Miami's Jungle Island apparently are just like people when it
comes to technology. The park is one of several zoos experimenting with
computers and apes, letting its six orangutans use an iPad to communicate and
as part of a mental stimulus program. Linda Jacobs, who oversees the program,
hopes the devices will eventually help bridge the gap between humans and the
endangered apes.
"Our
young ones pick up on it. They understand it. It's like, 'Oh, I get
this,'" Jacobs said. "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.'"
Jacobs said
she began letting the orangutans use iPads last summer, based on the suggestion
of someone who had used the devices with dolphins. The software was originally
designed for humans with autism and the screen displays pictures of various
objects. A trainer then names one of the objects, and the ape presses the
corresponding button.
The devices
have been a great addition to the enrichment programs Jungle Island already
does with the orangutans, Jacobs said. Keepers have long used sign language to
communicate with them. Using their hands, the orangutans can respond to simple
questions, identify objects and express their wants or needs. The apes can also
identify body parts, helping the trainers care for them and even give them
shots.
"We're
able to really monitor their health on a daily basis," Jacobs said of the
need for communication with the orangutans. "We can do daily checks. If
somebody's not feeling well, we know it immediately."
While
Jacobs and other trainers have developed strong relationships with the
orangutans, the iPad and other touchscreen computers offer an opportunity for
them to communicate with people not trained in their sign language.
"It
would just be such a wonderful bridge to have," Jacobs said. "So that
other people could really appreciate them."
Orangutans
are extremely intelligent but limited by their physical inability to talk, she
said.
"They
are sort of trapped in those bodies," Jacobs said. "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 chords. So this gives
them a way to let us know what they know, what they are capable of, what they
would like to have."
Other zoos
and nature parks are doing similar work.
Richard
Zimmerman, executive director of Orangutan Outreach, said he's building an
"Apps For Apes" program with old, donated iPads at facilities
throughout North America, though Jungle Island isn't part of that group.
Orangutan Outreach started working with the Milwaukee County Zoo and then
expanded to zoos in Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Toronto, Houston and elsewhere.
They're hoping to use a video-conferencing program to reconnect orangutans with
friends and family members who have been transferred to other zoos, he said.
"We're
putting together what we're calling primate playdates or red ape rendezvous,
which is to say connecting the orangutans in different facilities,"
Zimmerman said. "We're looking at a larger picture."
When it
comes to orangutans, the iPad itself has limitations. First, the relatively
small screen causes orangutans to hit the wrong buttons sometimes. Also, the
touchscreen won't register if they try to use their fingernails. Most
importantly, the devices are just too fragile to actually hand over to the apes
— the trainers must hold them.
"If I
gave them the iPad, I could just basically hand them $600 and say, 'Go have
fun,'" Jacobs said. "So until we come up with a better screen or a
better case, I'm going to hold onto the iPad."
If Jacobs
gets her way, a more secure interface might not be far off. The long-term plan
is to set up a larger, orangutan-proof screen in the holding area, along with
another screen outside for guests. They would ask the orangutans questions and
the apes could respond.
"It's
really just a matter of getting the technology and equipment here," Jacobs
said. "There's not a doubt in my mind that they could do it and would be
marvelous at it, and I think the public would absolutely love it."
It's
important to note that training the orangutans isn't done to entertain Jungle
Island workers or guests. Because the animals are so intelligent, Jacobs said
their minds must be kept active to prevent them from getting bored or
depressed. The challenge is making the enrichment activities enjoyable.
"They
need a lot of stimulation," Jacobs said. "Training isn't mandatory,
but they love it."
Scientist
and conservationist Birute Mary Galdikas, founder of Orangutan Foundation
International, said orangutans are among the most intelligent animals.
Orangutans in the wild, where Galdikas has studied the apes for more than four
decades, routinely use tools to scratch themselves, swat insects and create
simple shelters. In captivity, Galdikas said, orangutans have demonstrated remarkable
creative-thinking skills, specifically in their ability to escape enclosures.
"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."
On the Net:
- Miss Millie Foundation,: http://missmillie.org/
- Jungle Island,: http://www.jungleisland.com
- Orangutan Outreach,: http://redapes.org/
- Orangutan Foundation International,: http://www.orangutan.org
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