"Orangutans are extremely intelligent but limited by their physical inability to talk," says Linda Jacobs, worker at a Miami zoo. And she's quite accurate. So, most animal experts have resorted to sign language to communicate with apes. And while it has worked rather well, most ordinary people don't know sign language, so apes still can't communicate with them. Now, finally, Linda Jacobs of Miami Zoo has found the 21st-century solution; using iPads.
Last summer, Jacobs heard of someone who had used an iPad to communicate with dolphins, and she got the idea to try a similar technique with apes. And so far, it's working very well. She uses a software originally designed for autistic humans. To practice communication skills, the trainer displays pictures of various objects on the screen. She names one of the objects, and the orangutan presses on the corresponding picture. The iPad helps keep them mentally stimulated, and helps them avoid boredom or depression.
The benefits of this program could be amazing one day. Right now, apes are able to tell trainers if they have pains in their body so that they can receive medical treatment. They can also talk with the trainer. Miami Zoo hopes that in the future, they'll have screens on the cage of the apes where you can ask them a question, and they'll respond. Better yet, the Apps for Apes program hopes to have video-conferencing systems where apes can reconnect with family members at other zoos through video chat. These programs are spreading quite rapidly. Similar programs are currently in zoos in Miami, Milwaukee, Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Toronto, and Houston.
Interestingly, the apes turn out to be a lot like us when it comes to technology. The 8-year old orangutan twins in the Miami Zoo love their iPad, and use it for drawing and playing games as well as learning communication skills. The teenagers are interested in the device as well, but the older orangutans show absolutely no interest in the device.
Jacobs's only problem is that the iPad is too breakable and expensive to actually hand over to the apes, so she has to hold the device while the orangutans enter their input. Additionally, the apes can't enter input to the iPad with their fingernails because it doesn't have a capacitive touchscreen. A company like Samsung or Sony might be able to modify one of their tablets to fit the needs of an orangutan as this new method of communication grows more popular. But maybe the orangutans prefer Apple.
