Animals in the local zoo, Primates -- Part 2 Apes = Orangutans + Chimpanzees + Gorillas +… + US! If you’ve ever seen the movie “Life of Pi” before, I bet you do remember that big ape with red-brown fur, long and strong arms. Yep, she’s an orangutan. Orangutans are from Southeast Asia. Well, the name “orangutan” comes from two Malay words which means “person of the forest”. Orangutans are so clever that they can even build umbrellas out of leaves. Chimpanzees live in Africa. They spend a lot of time with other chimpanzees from their group, acting up, playing, and chatting. And what they love most is grooming each other. Grooming is their special way of networking. You could probably hear of Jane Goodall, who has studied chimpanzees since 1960. More than 45 years of observation! She found out that even a baby chimp gets the hang of using the stick. It is able to “fish” for termites in an underground nest. Gorillas may be aggressive when attacked or provoked, but they are naturally gentle. They are also omnivorous, like chimpanzees and orangutans. A gorilla may live up to 50 years and more. With a broad chest, wide shoulders, short legs, and long, powerful, strong arms, no wonder they are excellent wrestlers. Male gorilla’s fur becomes silver/grey on the back as getting older. Because of that older male is called the “silverback”. Usually the silverback is the leader of the troop. (A group of primates is called “troop”) OK, now let’s go and see them monkeying around!