Some Orangutans Use Tools

One of the interesting facts about orangutans is, Birut Galdikas, a primatologist, saw orangutans using tools in ex-captivity groups. It has been observed that orangutanss in Suaq Balimbing have developed a toolkit for foraging that includes both insect-extraction sticks for use in tree hollows and seed-extraction sticks for gathering seeds from fruit with stiff husks. The orangutans changed their tools depending on the activity at hand, and they preferred using their mouths as tools. This predilection was also discovered in a study using orangutans kept in captivity. Catfish have been seen to panic and flop out of ponds into the hands of waiting orangutans when they are jabbed with sticks by the apes. It has also been observed that orangutans store tools for later use. Orangutans choose branches that can sustain their body weight and appear to have some technical construction skills while building a nest.

There have been reports of wild orangutans in Tuanan, Borneo, using sonic communication instruments. The kiss squeak noises they make are amplified by leaves. The apes may use this technique of amplification to trick the listener into thinking they are more powerful creatures. Using the same behavioral coding technique, researchers from six separate orangutan field locations compared the behaviors of the animals at each site in 2003.