Page 6 - Amazing Land Animals

Tool Users

Orangutans are apes that live in the forests of Sumatra and Borneo in Southeast Asia.
Like gorillas and chimpanzees, they are closely related to humans and very intelligent.
They are among the few animals that can learn how to use new tools.

Staying Close to Mom

Young orangutans stay close to their mothers
for at least ten years after they are born—and
even after that, often come home for a visit until
they are sixteen years old. Only humans have
such a long and close bond with their mothers.
Orangutans need this because they have a lot
to learn: where to find food, what to eat
and how to use special tools to
get food, and how to build a
sleeping nest.

Orangutan Tools

Like us, orangutans have hands, which makes it easy
for them to use tools. But they don’t just use tools—
they learn to find new tools to use in new situations.
For example, they use sticks to dig insects out of holes.
But they don’t always use the same kind of stick. They
choose a different stick to suit the hole.
Some orangutans even devise
umbrellas when it rains!

Monkey Nutcrackers

Capuchin monkeys live in South and Central
America. They got their name from looking a
little like Capuchin monks, who wear brown
robes with large, light brown hoods. These clever
animals also use tools. They crack open nuts,
knocking them with rocks against a hard surface.
But first they carefully position the nut so it is in
the most stable position.
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