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At the Center for Great Apes, enrichment can come in many forms—and sometimes the simplest moments become the most fascinating to watch.
Recently, orangutan Pongo became completely absorbed in an afternoon digging project in his habitat. But he wasn’t digging with just his hands. In true orangutan fashion, Pongo cleverly used a piece of bark as a tool, scooping and scraping at the ground like a shovel.
Our 14 orangutan habitats have either grass, hay, or thick layers of pine needles on the dirt floors which helps create a more natural and comfortable environment for them. And the orangutans can rotate frequently among the enclosures.
Last week, while Pongo was in a pine-needled environment, he carefully filled a bucket with pine needles and dirt, seemingly determined to uncover what lay beneath. He would then pull the pine straw back out of the bucket and brush it aside, exposing the darker substrate dirt underneath before continuing his excavation.
Watching him work was a wonderful reminder of just how intelligent and resourceful orangutans are. In the wild, orangutans use tools, manipulate objects, and spend much of their day exploring their surroundings in search of food, insects, roots, or simply satisfying their natural curiosity. Digging and foraging activities like this provide both mental stimulation and an outlet for natural behaviors.
For Pongo, this was clearly serious business. Every scoop, scrape, and careful brush of pine needles showed focus, patience, and problem-solving at work.
And judging by Pongo’s determination, he may have been on a very important mission.
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