Nonja: The Orangutan Who Takes Pictures for Face Book

This week's animal star and sensation on face book is 33 year old Nonja, an orangutan. We have heard for years that apes are closest to the human race than any other species.

This morning on the Today Show, I discovered Nonja, the picture taking orangutan who snaps shots of herself all day for display on her Face Book account. According to cnet news, the orangutan is racking up fans on Face Book who are fascinated by her self photos.

Nonja lives in a zoo in Vienna Austria and uses a Samsung ST 1000 digital camera to snap the photos of herself and her other pals who live with her, which the camera then automatically uploads to her Nonja | Face book account, where Nonja has over 4,000 fans.

You may wonder what would motivate an orangutan to learn how to operate a camera? Well, since they are so much like humans, it comes as no surprise that Nonja's behavior is tied to a reward. Nonja gets fruit in return for her efforts to photo herself and her cell mates. Evidently, fruit is her favorite food and she will do most anything to get it. Therefore, a contraption releases fruit for her each time she snaps a photo. No wonder, she's doing it so often. I would do the same if I were offered my favorite food, chocolate. We all have our weaknesses.

According to Samsung Imaging's website, Samsung gave the ST1000 digital camera as a surprise. Although the self shot photos are not very clear or in focus, it is quite amazing than an orangutan takes pictures of herself.

Though Nonja's behavior and ability is going viral on Face Book, she is not the only orangutan with human like behavior that has made it to the media.

In April, 2008, another orangutan, (this one a male) was photographed using a sharp stick like a spear. Actually the orangutan was using the stick as a spear to fish in the Gohong River. The image was taken in Borneo on the island of Kaja according to an article on word press. In Kaja, apes are rehabilitated to the wild after being rescued from zoos, private homes, or even butcher shops. Like humans, apes are survivors. They can and do adapt easily in any environment and like humans do what they have to survive.

Another example of an animal that has an unusual talent is the elephant who can paint a self portrait. According to the website, Bali Elephant Safari Park, Ramona is a resident and is the extraordinary elephant who paints effusively. In fact the zoo claims to own several elephant painters. They say elephants have a natural desire to draw and often do so by using their trunks to draw on the ground in their natural habitats. The elephants who are interested will paint when brushes are placed in their trunks. It is said that Ramona even very pensively stares at her painting before she chooses colors from her palate, as though she is putting a great deal of thought into the task.

I find the subject of animals and their talents very interesting, and I'm looking forward to hearing the next amazing story!

Sources:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/

http://www.baliadventuretours.com/BAT-Elephant_Art.htm

http://bentlyr.wordpress.com/2008/04/30/orangutan-spotted-fishing-with-spear-like-stick/