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LINK Orangutan from Borneo photographed using a spear tool to fish | Primatology.net

Tool use among orangutans was first documented by Carel van Schaik. In 1994, Carel observed orangutans developing tools to help themselves eat, while conducting field work in Gunung Leuser National Park, in the northwest Sumatra.

Specifically the orangutans were using sticks to pry open pulpy fruits that have “Plexiglas needles” capable of delivering a painful jab covering them. Using the tools, the orangutans were getting past handling the prickly husk and into the nutritious fruit. From an anthropological viewpoint, tool use represents an aspect of culture, since the entire group participates in a behavior that has developed over time. One unique thing to clarify is that only Sumatran orangutans have been observed to use tools, not orangutans from Borneo.

altschmerz 9 July 15
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4 comments

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Say hi to grandpa!

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When they start riding horses and carrying machine guns I'll worry.

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Oh I thought that was donald fishing........

or a close relative.

@callmedubious
Careful when Bill Maher said that the Donald threatened to sue him (true story)

@LenHazell53 ,
we share over 95% of our DNA with the great apes so i guess were all fairly close relatives (relatively speaking).

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Fabulous photograph. almost perfect foreground and background lighting....an exceptional picture!

According to Primate specialists I've studied, it's a learned trait...passed on.

There's many other groups of animals that evolved tool use; including a variety of birds.

[en.wikipedia.org]

It does look a bit hdr, or post processed, or maybe both. Still, looks great!

@ownworstenemy The photographer...or the post-photo editor....knew enough to get the orange hair coloring "illuminated" while keeping the background from getting washed out. That's what typically happens in a photo like that; foreground in shade, background sunny.

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