ORANGUTANS AND HUMANS: PETS, TROUBLEMAKERS, FREEDOM

ORANGUTANS AND HUMANS

Orangutans have been hunted for food for a long time by humans. Their charred bones have been found in at 40,000 archaeological sites at Niah Caves in Malaysian Borneo and are still regarded as semi-human creatures among some Malaysians, Indonesians and Borneo tribes. An English visitor to Borneo in the 18th century wrote: “The natives do really believe that these were formally men....metamorphosed into beasts for their blasphemy. “

Orangutans have 95 to 97 percent of the same genetic material as humans. They are highly susceptible to human diseases, such as hepatitis B and tuberculosis, which is one of the main reasons, tourists should resist handling them. Many elderly gorillas and orangutans suffer from cardiovascular disease.

Websites and Resources: Animal Diversity Web animaldiversity.org ; BBC Earth bbcearth.com; A-Z-Animals.com a-z-animals.com; Live Science Animals livescience.com; Animal Info animalinfo.org ; World Wildlife Fund (WWF) worldwildlife.org the world’s largest independent conservation body; National Geographic National Geographic ; Endangered Animals (IUCN Red List of Threatened Species) iucnredlist.org

Orangutan in a Zoo Has Human Right to Freedom, Argentine Court Rules

In December 2014, an orangutan held in an Argentine zoo was ordered to be freed and transferred to a sanctuary after an Argentine court recognized the ape as a “non-human person” unlawfully deprived of its freedom. Associated Press reported: Animal rights campaigners filed a habeas corpus petition — a document more typically used to challenge the legality of a person’s detention or imprisonment — in November on behalf of Sandra, a 29-year-old Sumatran orangutan at the Buenos Aires zoo. [Source: Richard Lough, Reuters, December 22, 2014]

In a landmark ruling that could pave the way for more lawsuits, the Association of Officials and Lawyers for Animal Rights (AFADA) argued the ape had sufficient cognitive functions and should not be treated as an object. The court agreed Sandra, born into captivity in Germany before being transferred to Argentina two decades ago, deserved the basic rights of a “non-human person.” “This opens the way not only for other Great Apes, but also for other sentient beings which are unfairly and arbitrarily deprived of their liberty in zoos, circuses, water parks and scientific laboratories,” the daily La Nacion newspaper quoted AFADA lawyer Paul Buompadre as saying.

Sandra’s case is not the first time activists have sought to use the habeas corpus writ to secure the release of wild animals from captivity. A U.S. court in December 2014 tossed out a similar bid for the freedom of ‘Tommy’ the chimpanzee, privately owned in New York state, ruling the chimp was not a “person” entitled to the rights and protections afforded by habeas corpus. In 2011, the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) filed a lawsuit against marine park operator SeaWorld, alleging five wild-captured orca whales were treated like slaves. A San Diego court dismissed the case.

The orangutan — Sandra, a zoo-born, hybrid orangutan — now lives at the Center for Great Apes in Wauchula, Florida. The zoo’s head of biology, Adrian Sestelo, told La Nacion that orangutans were by nature calm, solitary animals which come together only to mate and care for their young. “When you don’t know the biology of a species, to unjustifiably claim it suffers abuse, is stressed or depressed, is to make one of man’s most common mistakes, which is to humanize animal behavior,” Sestelo told the daily.

Orangutans and Human-Learned Behavior

Orangutans have picked up quite a few habits from their human interlopers. They have learned to open locks, row boats and even cook pancakes One particularly well-mannered animal even learned to open packages by making nice neat tears in the corners (most orangutans apes aren't so adept; they open packages by ripping them to shreds). Some have even improved on human technology. One female used a digging stick to pull pieces of burning charcoal from a fire. When the burning wood cooled she munched away on it as if it were popcorn.

One ate rice with a fork and spoon, blew out candles, played with kittens and kissed them on the lips. Another mixed pancakes with more sugar than most recipes call for. Others still washed clothes, rung them out and waited until they were dry before putting them on. They only worrisome habit of the latter was that she dunked her socks in coffee before she put them on.

Orangutans Troublemakers

Orangutan make lousy house mates. Galdikas and Brindamour complained that the orangutans that stayed with them ate, drank and ripped open anything the can get their hands on; opened childproof drug containers; and squeezed out all the contents of glue bottles and toothpaste tubes. Not only did the orangutans sleep on their bed they also tore open the mattresses and pillows to get at the edible seeds on the inside. Closing the windows and doors wasn't enough to keep them out. The orange apes simply tore down the walls and knocked holes in the roof to get in.

The problems didn't stop there. They ate candles, drank shampoo and sucked on batteries like lifesavers. Usually not satisfied with drinking milk they also like to gargle with it and spit it out all over each other. One had a fancy for flashlight bulbs and another like to suck all the ink out of fountain pens.

Orangutans also like to play with dogs, cats and small children. They enjoy kissing and scratching their playmates but what seems to give the orangutans the greatest pleasure is placing their friends on their head. In zoos, stressed out orangutans respond well to aroma therapy and are particularly relaxed by rose oil.

Orangutans have been killed for raiding crops. Other have their fingers chopped for stealing eggs. Humans who have been attacked or injured by orangutans usually provoked the animals in some way.

Orangutan Short-Circuits Electric Fence in Zoo 'Escape'

In May 2009, The Telegraph reported: “An "ingenious" 137-pound (62-kilogram) orang-utan used a branch to short-circuit an electric fence and escape from an Australian zoo only to change her mind and return to her enclosure. The ape, a 27-year-old female named Karta, jammed a stick into wires connected to the fence and then piled up debris to climb a concrete and glass wall at the Adelaide Zoo. [Source: The Telegraph, May 10, 2009]

Peter Whitehead, the zoo's curator, said: "You're talking about an animal that's highly intelligent. "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." Mr Whitehead told reporters that Karta sat on top of the fence for about 30 minutes before apparently changing her mind about the escape and climbing back into the enclosure.

"I think when she actually got out and realised where she was ... she's realised she shouldn't be there so then she's actually hung onto the wall and dropped back into the exhibit," he said.

Karta came within a few yards (meters) of visitors, who were the first to notice the animal's escape bid. Whitehead said the animal was not aggressive, but the zoo was cleared as a precaution, and veterinarians stood by with tranquilliser guns in case of trouble. Officials at the zoo in the southern city of Adelaide would conduct a "thorough review" of the escape bid and it was likely some vegetation that could be used in a future try for freedom would be removed from Karta's enclosure.

Orangutan Learns to Take Her Own Medicine

In August 2007, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported: “An orangutan at Tama Zoological Park has surprised her minders by willingly taking her medicine after ripping open the packet herself — just like a human would. “It’s rather rare for an animal to take medicine on its own,” said Hidetoshi Kurotori, who looks after the orangutan, named Gypsy, at the zoo in Hino, Tokyo. Gypsy, who is thought to be 51 years old, quite elderly for an orangutan, became sick during the rainy season and was given medicine similar to that used for humans. She had taken the medicine before, after a zoo employee tore open the packet and poured the powdered medicine into her mouth. [Source: Yomiuri Online and Associated Press, August 9, 2007 ]

On June 27, Kurotori accidentally dropped the medicine inside Gypsy’s cage. When he collected the packet the next morning, it had been torn open and the contents had disappeared. Kurotori, 55, handed Gypsy another packet and then watched in disbelief as she skillfully ripped it open and tipped the medicine into her mouth. Since then, Gypsy has been quite happy to repeat this feat. The medicine is flavored to suit orangutans’ fondness for sweet foods, but Kurotori is unsure if the orangutan knows the powder is a medicine. “Perhaps she just prefers to take it when she wants, not when somebody tries to force her to,” he said. Gypsy also wipes her cage with a cloth, and pours water into a plastic bottle before drinking it.

Orangutans and Celebrities

Indra Harsaputra wrote in the Jakarta Post, “Spanish soccer team captain and Barcelona team halfback Carles Puyol is currently campaigning for the rescue of orangutans, whose population is endangered. Tarzan — as Puyol is dubbed — along with the International Animal Rescue (IAR) and the Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP) is distributing posters with the words “I Care — Do You?” Actress Julia Roberts undertook a similar campaign in 1998, when she starred in a short film titled In the Wild — Orangutans with Julia Roberts. Julia visited Tanjung Puting National Park. The actions of Julia and Puyol to show their concern has prompted tourists from various countries to go to Tanjung Puting National Park.[Source: Indra Harsaputra, The Jakarta Post, November 17, 2012]

According to Ape Alliance: Paris Hilton and Khloe Kardashian have both posed with orangutans in Dubai, which the UN's great apes survival partnership says contributes to the destruction of endangered species. James Rodríguez, a Real Madrid player, also posted a photo of himself holding a young great ape in human clothes.

Celebrities who have supported orangutan conservation include Sir David Attenborough and Bill Oddie, who have both spoken out about the need to protect orangutan habitats. Jarryd Roughead, an Australian Football League player, is an ambassador for The Orangutan Project.

Orangutans who have been famous include Manis, A trained orangutan who played Clint Eastwood's sidekick in the 1978 film “Every Which Way but Loose”; Sandra: A zoo-born, hybrid orangutan who was granted "non-human person" status in 2015. She now lives at the Center for Great Apes in Wauchula, Florida (See "Orangutan in a Zoo Has Human Right to Freedom, Argentine Court Rules" above); and Ken Allen, an orangutan at the San Diego Zoo who became famous for escaping his enclosures multiple times. He was nicknamed "the hairy Houdini".

Orangutans as Pets

Local people in Indonesia, particularly childless couples, adopt young orangutans as members of the family. In Kalimantan, their adopted parents dress them in human clothes, give them pillows for their beds and encourage them to join the family for meals. Sometime they are trained to be servants: performing simple tasks such as opening doors and fetching food. Sometimes they are breast fed by human mothers and taught to respond to Chinese commands. Other times they become cross-eyed from watching too many soccer games and Indian movies on television.

Orangutans are also kept as pets by rich people. In Indonesia they have traditionally been kept by police and military men. Young orangutans are more sought after than adults for pets, selling for up to $25,000 a piece. When they become older and more unruly their owners often get rid of them, sometime selling them to zoos. Many are abandoned or sent back to Sumatra or Borneo for rehabilitation.

Pet orangutans became popular in Taiwan after one appeared on a popular TV show in the 1980s. An estimated 2,000 orangutans were smuggled from Indonesia to Taiwan, where they for about $4,000 a piece. Orangutans were visible everywhere, even in Snake Alley in Taipei. Some were treated quite poorly. In Taipei, one orangutan had its face painted blue and was tied up in a shop. Orangutans were bought and sold openly until the trade was outlawed in 1989. To obtain the 2,000 orangutans that made it alive to Taiwan, an estimated 4,000 died after capture and 6,000 mothers were killed to obtain the babies. Orangutan are reportedly still available in Taiwan if you have the money.

On how orangutan end up as pets, Richard C. Paddock wrote in the Los Angeles Times: As the forest is cut down, loggers who encounter orangutans commonly shoot the adult females and take their babies to sell as pets. "We estimate that five die for every one that reaches the market," said Peter Pratje, a conservationist whose work is sponsored by the Frankfurt Zoological Society. [Richard C. Paddock, Los Angeles Times, May 14, 2005]

“Despite a law against trading in orangutans, about 1,000 babies are sold as pets in Indonesia each year. The animals, now mainly from Borneo, can easily be purchased in Jakarta, the nation's capital. Bought by wealthy Indonesians as a status symbol, they are adorable as babies but difficult to handle as they grow. Once the novelty wears off, many of the animals spend their lives in cages, alone and neglected.

“Prodded by environmental activists, police have seized hundreds of captive orangutans in recent years and turned them over to rehabilitation centers for release in the wild. But the trade continues. At the open-air Jakarta pet market, a dealer named Yommy recently offered to sell a 4-month-old Borneo orangutan for $750. "I guarantee you will get the best quality," Yommy said, promising delivery within a week. "We already sorted the orangutans and chose only the best ones."

Malaysian Orangutan Hospital Where Orangutans Wear Diapers

From Bukit Merah, Malaysia, AFP reported: “A Malaysian orangutan sanctuary where baby apes wear nappies, sleep in cots and are cared for by nurses dressed in masks and starched uniforms has drawn the wrath of environmentalists. At Orangutan Island in Malaysia's north, tourists snap photos as they file past large windows looking onto a facility billed as the world's only rehabilitation and preservation facility for the endangered primates. Behind the glass, adorable baby orangutans like two-month-old Tuah lie swaddled in nursery sheets and cling to baby rattles. [Source: M. Jegathesan, AFP, May 30, 2009]

"He is separated from the mother because his hands got entangled in the mother's hair and was unable to breastfeed," says the facility's chief veterinarian D. Sabapathy. Tuah lies calmly in his cot with his eyes wide open and hands across his chest, hooked up to cables monitoring his heart beat and oxygen levels, ignoring the passing parade. But the care lavished on the animals, which are fed every two hours by a staff of seven nurses on duty round the clock, is lost on environmentalists who say this is no way to treat wild animals facing the threat of extinction.

Managers of the 35-acre island, which is part of a resort hotel development, say they aim to return the animals to their natural jungle habitat, but so far none have been released. "It is ridiculous to have orangutans in nappies and hand-raised in a nursery. How are they going to reintroduce the primates back in the wild," said senior wildlife veterinarian Roy Sirimanne.

Sirimanne, who has worked in zoos in Southeast Asia and the Middle East over the past four decades, said baby orangutans need to be with their mothers to learn survival skills. "Keeping the orangutans in captivity on an island is not a conservation programme. It amounts to desecration (of the species) as it is nearly impossible to reintroduce them back to the forest,” he told AFP.

Orangutan Island is situated in the north of peninsular Malaysia, far from the jungles of Borneo where the orangutan's natural habitat is. "We are opposed to the orangutan sanctuary. We are opposed to this theme park resort having wildlife in captivity," said its president Mohamad Idris. "Captive-bred orangutans have no natural resistance against diseases, making them susceptible to diseases. Death is inevitable," he said.

The centre's veterinarian defended the facility, situated in the tourist town of Bukit Merah, which opened in 2000 and now houses 25 orangutans. He admitted the centre had suffered a high mortality rate in its early days, with seven deaths of infant orangutans between 2000 and 2003, but said it had learned a lot since then. "It is the pride of Malaysians and it is aimed at helping ensure our orangutans do not become extinct," said Sabapathy. He said the facility was originally stocked with orangutans obtained from the forestry department in Sarawak state on Borneo, who had been confiscated from individuals there. "Now we can study the primate and collect data. The orangutans will eventually be returned to Sarawak. That is our objective," he said.

Sabapathy said infants were only removed from their mothers if they were underweight, neglected and at risk of dying, and that some mothers raised their own babies, including one born in May. "I will not be disheartened by the criticism," he said. "We are not ill-treating them. People say the species is getting endangered but what are they doing? We are trying to increase the numbers in the wild."

Nearby, 21-year-old nurse Nadiah Mohamad smiled fondly at one-year-old April who was rejected by his mother, and fed him with formula while four-month-old June showed off by jumping around her cot and pulling the bedsheets. "I love them. It is like taking care of a small child," she said. When the baby apes are a year old, they are transferred to an "infant development unit" designed to teach them to live in the wild. In another zone, enclosed with electrified barbed wire, adult orangutans are free to roam and build their nests in the treetops. Most of the visitors, from Malaysia and abroad, are delighted to interact with the animals and are unaware of the criticism. "I don't think it is wrong keeping them here. It is a practical solution to save the orangutans and educate our children," said 26-year-old Vikki Kendrick from Britain.

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: Animal Diversity Web animaldiversity.org ; National Geographic, Live Science, Natural History magazine, David Attenborough books, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, Discover magazine, The New Yorker, Time, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, Wikipedia, The Guardian, Top Secret Animal Attack Files website and various books and other publications.

Last updated December 2024