If you thought humans were the only ones to get excited about new apps then you're wrong.
Zookeepers in United States and Canada are experimenting with apps for apes and have found that they too get exited while using apps, said a report from Reuters.
The program called "Apps for Apes," has the involvement of 12 zoos across the two countries. These zoos have been using iPad apps for orangutans during their "enrichment time."
The program is run by New York City-based Orangutan Outreach which is a non-profit organization.
"We're finding that, similar to people, they like touching the tablet, watching short videos of David Attenborough for instance, and looking at other animals and orangutans," Richard Zimmerman, founding director of Orangutan Outreach told Reuters.
These orangutans are given tablets for 15 minutes. Apps that have painting, music, and memory games are the ones that are popular with the apes.
Zimmerman said that orangutans are most intelligent among primates. It is similar to showing children pop-up books he adds. Apps that are meant to be used by autistic kids are being experimented on apes, helping them to communicate better he said.
One orangutan in Florida uses its feet to navigate through the apps.
"When you see the enjoyment and focus on their faces it's special, especially for orangutans who are in an enclosure all day and you're providing enrichment for them," Zimmerman said.
They also intend to create awareness about threat of extinction faced by these apes. The program will be expanded to zoos across Europe, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.
