An orangutan at a Japanese zoo surprised visitors when he or she took a towel and did what any human would do to cool off– wiped his or her head with it, but not before squeezing it out first.
The orangutan at Tokyo’s Tama Zoo has become an internet sensation today as viewers delight in watching the animal cool off with a towel- He soaks the towel in the nearby water, rolls it up, rings it out and then wipes his head with it.
Unfortunately, a smaller orangutan was left to survive the hot day without the help of a handy towel, and it looks like he or she wasn’t too happy about it. The bigger primate wouldn’t share the towel and left the smaller primate to watch and suck up an droplets of water that the towel left behind.
Though the orangutan head wiping was impressive, the best part of the two minute YouTube video is when the primate wipes off the rock where the water may have spilled while ringing out the towel earlier.
According to Discovery, the behavior will most likely be passed down and Duke University scientists proved earlier that orangutans have culture, that allows them to learn new things and share that knowledge with others. And The Huffington Post brought up a good point, these animals frequently use objects like branches to swat bees and use leafy sticks as an umbrella in nature. Sound familiar? After all, we share over 90% of our DNA with them.
The primates are located in the Asiatic Garden of the Tama Zoo near Tokyo. The zoo is located among 129 acres and has three ecological areas that include the Asiatic Garden, African Garden and Austrailain Garden, and the Insectarium.
Check out the video.
