Nature
PUBLISHED
In a video with Oscar-worthy highs, lows, twists, and turns, a TikToker recently captured the unexpected journey of a beloved teddy that was dropped into an orangutan enclosure.
The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.Having spotted the small toy splashing down into the water, one resident orangutan appeared to swoop in and save the day by retrieving it from its watery grave. Unfortunately for the child (and the teddy), the rescue attempt went a bit sideways as the orangutan climbed to a vantage point and tore the toy limb from limb. Savage.
The emotional rollercoaster took place at Dublin Zoo in Ireland. Their Orangutan Forest habitat is inspired by the rainforests of Borneo and contains trees and ropes that extend over the visitor walkway, giving the orangutans and humans a unique and engaging view of one another (even if the orangutans do sometimes use this height advantage to pee on those below).
The drama, however, began closer to the ground, as the small teddy slipped through the fence and into the water. Orangutans are known for their tool use (some have even mastered the hand saw) so it was unsurprising – though still impressive – when the orangutan plucked a piece of long grass to try and coax in the foreign object.
After scooping it out of the water, the video appears to show the orangutan kissing the toy to a chorus of laughter and coos from the observers. Here, proceedings took a turn for the destructive.
After scaling the enclosure and reaching the ropes which are suspended above the visitor walkway, the orangutan revealed it was less interested in returning the lost toy to its (crying) owner than it was in finding out what treasures were contained within. As such, it proceeded to rip open the teddy, its fluffy insides raining onto those looking on from below.
While a child of course can’t be blamed for losing a toy, dropping belongings into animal enclosures carries risks – and varying results. Recently, another orangutan found a pair of sunglasses inside its enclosure and decided to give them a whirl. The subsequent footage reveals the animal looking fresh to death before hurling the glasses back at the person who dropped them.
There was also an unfortunate incident at El Paso Zoo as a visitor hopped the fence to offer some spider monkeys Hot Cheetos. Fortunately for the invader and the captive animals, the stunt didn’t end in any harm – but during the COVID-19 pandemic, zoo workers were disappointed that a member of the public would put animals so closely related to humans at risk by breaking the rules and entering their home.
Please, for the love of monkeys, apes, and small stuffed animals, keep your belongings and Cheetos to yourself.
