Apps for Apes: iPad Apps Enriching the Lives of Orangutans in Zoos

Apps for Apes

One of the first words that springs to mind for me when thinking about the iPad is ‘versatile’ – and I’m continually amazed at the number of great uses for Apple’s tablet.

Today’s example is the ‘Apps for Apes’ initiative that the Smithsonian National Zoological Park (our national zoo) and 12 other zoos around the world are taking part in. As the DCist reports, the program has this admirable focus:

… leverages the touchscreen interactivity of Apple’s iPad to enrich the lives of those apes in captivity

Orangutans and other great apes are highly intelligent – so it’s very important to provide them with both mental and physical stimulation. iPad apps are helping to accomplish this at the zoos involved in the program. The Smithsonian’s video shows that painting and music apps appear to be well-liked by their orangutans, while also pointing out that the…

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