"They say that if you give a chimpanzee a screwdriver, he’ll break it; if you give a gorilla a screwdriver, he’ll toss it over his shoulder; but if you give an orangutan a screwdriver, he’ll open up his cage and walk away."
Anecdotally, the staff at Monkey World [0] in Dorset, UK, report that some of their rescued orangutans are capable of using tools accidentally left behind by people working on their enclosures.
Orangutans seem like the most lucid of the zoo animals, aware of their surroundings and situation. Here's an orangutan that escaped and just wanted to enjoy the sights of the zoo, which is something we'd offer to any dog, who is certainly less intelligent and curious than the orangutan.
Obviously the logistics would be complicated, but it seems like the humane thing to do.
I'll admit that I was not expecting to see an Orangutan when I clicked that link.
I'm amused by the thought of an Orangutan escaping its enclosure only to take a leisurely stroll around the zoo, look at the other animals, maybe stick its tongue out at its natural predators if any are housed there...
Sure, I admit it's a bit cringey, but think about what Wall Street guys spend money on. Would people rather they buy more cocaine, or contribute to a zoo?
Orangutans are crazy smart. Wild orangutans in Borneo[1] have been known to observe humans and copy behaviours such as rowing canoes, using tools and even helping humans with chores such as laundry.
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[ 4.9 ms ] story [ 41.3 ms ] thread(From: https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/oranguta...)
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monkey_World
Obviously the logistics would be complicated, but it seems like the humane thing to do.
I'm amused by the thought of an Orangutan escaping its enclosure only to take a leisurely stroll around the zoo, look at the other animals, maybe stick its tongue out at its natural predators if any are housed there...
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFACrIx5SZ0