AssetID: 52917404
Headline: Migrant Orangutans Learn Dining Skills From New Pals
Caption: Migrant orangutans get dining lessons from their hosts in a new group. Researchers analysed 30 years of observations on a total of 152 male migrant orangutans in Sumatra and Borneo and found evidence that great apes who have moved from one area and colony to another, learn about unfamiliar foods in their new home. They do this by ‘peering’ at experienced locals: intensely observing them at close distance. Orangutans are dependent on their mothers longer than any other non-human animal, nursing until they are at least six years old and living with her for up to three years more. From her they learn how to find, choose, and process the exceedingly varied range of foods they eat. But orangutans that have left their mothers and now live far from their natal ranges face a problem as the available foods may be very different. To overcome this the males intensely observe a role model for at least five seconds and from within two metres. Typically, peering orangutans face the role model and showed signs of following his or her actions with head movements, indicating attentive interest.
Keywords: Migrant,Orangutans,Orangutan,Pals,dining,lessons,host,new,group,Researchers,observations,Sumatra,Borneo,evidence,great,apes,colony,unfamiliar,foods,locals,animal,eat,mothers,role,model,signs,actions,head,movements,attentive,interest
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