http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chantek


Chantek (born December 17, 1977, at the Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center in Atlanta, Georgia) is a male orangutan who has mastered the use of a number of intellectual skills, including sign language, taught by anthropologist Dr. Lyn Miles.

Chantek has a vocabulary of several hundred signs, and understands both spoken English and American Sign Language. Chantek makes and uses tools, creates paintings, necklaces, crafts and music, and is one of only a handful of signing primates scattered across the United States.

From the age of nine months, Dr. Miles raised Chantek as a signing infant, rearing him as much as possible as a human child on the campus of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Miles toilet-trained Chantek, and gave him chores and an allowance, using steel washers as money. His favorite way to spend it was on fast food.

Born at Yerkes, Chantek was transferred to the university when he was nine months old to learn from Dr. Miles. He returned to Yerkes for a short time, and then spent about nine years living in a trailer at Dr. Miles' home near the university. His current habitat at Zoo Atlanta is an enclosure that affords him private space and is expansive with plenty of trees for swinging from branch to branch (brachiation).

Like children, Chantek prefers to use names rather than pronouns - as the reference is fixed - even when talking to a person. He even invents signs of his own (e.g., 'eye-drink' for contact lens solution, and 'Dave missing finger' for a special friend). He developed referential ability as early as most human children, and points to and shows objects just like humans do. Chantek uses adjectives to specify attributes, such as "red bird", and "white cheese food eat", yet he overgeneralizes in interesting ways, too. For example, he uses the sign 'Lyn' for all caregivers, but never for strangers.

Chantek also demonstrates self-awareness, by grooming himself in a mirror and by using signs in mental planning and deception. Rather than simply exhibiting conditioned responses, as critics of primate intellect contend, Chantek has learned roles - and role reversals - in games like 'Simon Says'. Like many other orangutans who have demonstrated problem solving skills, Chantek exhibits certain intuitive and thinking character traits comparable to the rationality used in human engineering. His intellectual and linguistic abilities make some scientists, including Dr. Miles, regard him as possessing personhood.

Thank you Sue.

I love this post.

“(Chantek) can talk about places he doesn’t see. He can talk about things that aren’t present. I can ask him to sign better and he will. ”
— Lyn Miles, trainer

Zoo officials have big plans for Chantek. Director Terry Maple and Miles envision a $1 million amphitheater where children could interact and talk with Chantek through glass, but not in a way that would make him a performing seal.
"I truly think this will be the most exciting exhibit in the world," Miles said.


http://www.primatesworld.com/SigningOrangutan.html

Thank you girls for this nice post.
I am glad that you are back from your holidays. I have missed you and your topics.I hope that you are all enjoying the summer.

Sincerely,
Gisele

Thank you for the really nice post Sue, and thank you Vicky for the additional information. It is amazing how intelligent animals really are.

Chantek is a really good example, just as Koko was.

I read somewhere that 2 days before the tzunami in Thailand the elephants ran into the hills and they carried 6 tourists with them while lifting them up with their trunks.

Maybe we should pay more attention to animal wisdom.

Love, Inda

Thank you Sue for bringing Chantek to our attention.
We very often underestimate the wisdom and sensitivity of animals.

Love,
yoko

Thank you girls for your replies.
Chantek is quite an amazing animal.

Love,
Sue