Comments on: Weekend wibble: Newborn orang-utan at Perth Zoo!

By: Nacey

Nacey — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:23:50 +0000

Like I needed another excuse to go to the zoo. ZOO TIME!

By: tigtog

tigtog — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:59:51 +0000

Orangutans are fanfuckingtastic.

I can’t find the ObPratchett quote I wanted, about the astonishing power that orangs have considering they’re just a collection of long levers covered with baggy skin and stringy hair.

By: Helen

Helen — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:49:04 +0000

That Orang baby has the same expression my son has when I try to kiss him.

Most of you already know this, but avoid products with palm oil – besides being bad for you, they’re very very bad for baby orangutans. (As is imported rainforest timber.)

By: mcduff

mcduff — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:48:06 +0000

That is cute in extremis.
Wonderful animal.
We were at Bohorek Orang Rehab Station in Sumatra some years ago slogging our way up the wet slippery path in the rain forest sweating buckets and lagging behind the others ["C'mon grandpa, keep up!" from the Sumatran young fella, cheeky so and so] heading for the place where they randomly feed the orangs who are in transition to full independence.
We heard a soft scuffle behind us and felt a soft tap on the shoulder [this is absolutely fair dinkum] and looked around to see an orang mum holding the hand of a youngster, both walking bipedally, and she clearly was politely asking for us to step aside on the narrow path so they could pass and get to the station on time.
So we did.
We spent a couple of hours at the station just quietly watching.
My impression of orangs was previously sadly fixed by the image of “George” the old male orang who lived for years at the Adelaide zoo [not a topic on which to dwell] and who was not happy.
These orangs at Bohorek were different.
Grace personified.
Not the heavy clambering creature I had imagined but lithe acrobats of incredible beauty and brimming with personality.

One of the better days of our lives.

By: Quixotess

Quixotess — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:53:32 +0000

I loved Leif! He seemed so very into them, just completely in love. Sorry for not sufficiently describing the adorable footage. :)

And soooooo cute. Sometimes monkeys and apes and orangutans are in uncanny valley for me, but not right now, they’re both just so beautiful. I love the connection of a loving guardian to stability and self-confidence–and when Leif referred to them as “individuals” I loved that too.