Orangutans Go Wild for Ipads

Home , Ham (chimpanzee), Oliver (chimpanzee)

release dates: June 14-20 24-1 (14)

© 2014 Universal Uclick Apps for Apes from The Mini Page © 2014 Universal Uclick Orangutans Go Wild for iPads Orangutans are sliding their Quiet planners fingers across iPads to play video Orangutans are very intelligent games, fingerpaint, watch shows and apes. But they aren’t showy like enjoy computer play dates with other chimps. They take their time and orangutans. think things out. They wait patiently When the iPad first came out, until the moment is right. Richard Zimmerman, the founder of Orangutans are the ape escape Orangutan Outreach, realized that artists. One of the most famous because orangutans could swipe their masters of escape was Fu Manchu. fingers across a screen, they could photo by Tom Pandi © Orangutan Outreach At the Omaha zoo in the 1960s, probably use the device. There was no Orangutans can play many video games designed for kids. Orangutans do well on zookeepers coming to work in the keyboard to stop the apes from using it. memory games. For example, they get morning kept finding Fu in the trees He started Apps for Apes, a program treats when they match cards that are outside his exhibit area. to supply iPads to zoos for their apes flipped over on the screen, as in the game Concentration. Their boss thought they were to use. It’s now in several zoos across leaving the doors open. The zookeepers the country. The Mini Page talked Animals using computers were in danger of losing their jobs. So with Zimmerman to learn more about Animals such as dolphins, dogs and they installed cameras. orangutans and their great new toy. apes have been using touchscreen They could hardly believe what computers for years. Dolphins can they saw. Fu Manchu hid a wire in match a real object with an icon on a his cheeks and kept it there all day, computer screen. Dogs earn treats by waiting until dark. Then he climbed touching their noses to pictures that through the air vents to an area have dogs in them. outside his cage. Chimps are awesome video gamers. Once there, he Their memory skills are better than took the wire most humans’. from his cheek In one game, a computer flashes 20 and used it to photo by Scott Engel © Orangutan Outreach Outreach Orangutan © Engel Scott by photo With the help of zookeepers, orangutans numbers on the screen in about half pick the lock on can Skype orangutans in other zoos. They a second. The chimps can remember the exhibit door, enjoy seeing other orangutans. If they where the numbers appeared and hit escaping to the are being sent to another zoo, they may the spots in the order they came up. trees outside. adjust sooner if they have met the other orangutans through Skype. Few humans can do this. Please include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page®. ® 24-2 (14); release dates: June 14-20

from The Mini Page © 2014 Universal Uclick Orangutan Smarty-Pants Escape artists Video wizards Fu Manchu is not the only famous When orangutans play video orangutan escape artist. Orangutans games, they don’t care how many have a reputation for getting out of points they pile up. They care about their cages. the treats they earn. For example, For example, in one zoo, the keeper they might get a piece of fruit when left a screwdriver on the floor outside they touch an icon. Other players get an orangutan’s cage. The orangutan fruit when they play the game. pretended he didn’t notice. Orangutans also love watching As soon as the zookeeper went videos. Tommy, an orangutan at away, the ape grabbed the screwdriver the Milwaukee Zoo, loves to watch and hid it in his cage. He waited until videos of a show called “The Joy of

about midnight when the zoo was photo by Tom Pandi © Orangutan Outreach Painting.” He watches the videos and dark and the keepers were gone. Then Zookeepers must hold the iPads while then paints. he used the screwdriver to escape orangutans use them. If they handed A female, M.J., at the same zoo, from his cage. the computers over to the apes, the enjoys watching episodes of “This Old orangutans would tear them apart. Cheyenne, an orangutan in Experts are hoping to design a sturdy House.” After she watches the show, Houston, taught all her kids how machine to safely enclose the iPads. she pulls out objects such as sheets to escape. They could use her tricks and towels and rearranges them. Orangutan geeks even when they went to different Orangutans zoos. Orangutans are so smart that they love finger- Another orangutan short-circuited get bored in zoos. The Apps for Apes painting the electric fence around her program lets them play with iPads for and fun. If they can’t hit the screen just doodling enclosure by shoving a stick into the apps. wires. Then she piled up anything right with their fingers, they touch it with their lips or tongue instead.

she could find to climb over the fence. Orangutan © Pandi Tom by photo Outreach

from The Mini Page © 2014 Universal Uclick from The Mini Page © 2014 Universal Uclick TM ORANGUTAN Ready Resources T C B O R N E O E P A C S E H The Mini Page provides ideas for websites, R R A S U M A T R A P P A C A books or other resources that will help you learn Basset L A E L E P A N E E R C S H B Brown’s more about this week’s topics. F O I E L N M S T A E R T E I On the Web: Try O V N N S N U F O O Z P L E T • Redapes.org R I I G D A P H C U O T L K A • bit.ly/R5gAhR ’n’ E D C L S R E T U P M O C A T • bit.ly/1miEdgA Find S E O N N A T U G N A R O K Y • animalplanet.com/tv-shows/other/videos/orangutan-island.htm T O N D E R E G N A D N E L Y At the library: Words that remind us of orangutans and iPads are hidden in the block below. Some words are hidden backward or diagonally. See if you can • “Face to Face With Orangutans” by Tim Laman and find: APE, APP, BORNEO, CALL, CHEEK, COMPUTERS, ENDANGERED, Cheryl Knott ESCAPE, FOREST, FUN, HABITAT, ICON, LONG, ORANGUTAN, PLAY, • “Ape Escapes” by Aline Alexander Newman RAIN, SCREEN, SUMATRA, TOUCHPAD, TREATS, TREES, VIDEO, ZOO. Please include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page®. ® 24-3 (14); release dates: June 14-20 TM Mini Spy TM Rookie Cookie’s Recipe Mini Spy and her friends are observing Cheesy Egg Wraps With Ham You’ll need: orangutans at the zoo. See if you can find: • 4 fajita-size flour tortillas • Cooking spray • 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese • 4 large eggs q doughnut q porcupine q basket q word MINI • 8 thin slices smoked or baked ham • 1/4 teaspoon salt q dragon q question mark q fish q teapot (such as deli-style ham; about 4 ounces) • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper q umbrella q number 3 q bat q heart What to do: 1. Arrange tortillas on a flat surface. Top each with 2 tablespoons of the cheese q letter L q teacup q sock q letter A and 2 slices of the ham. Spread the filling to within 1/2 inch of the edges. 2. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray and preheat over medium-high. Whisk together eggs, salt and pepper; add mixture to hot pan. Cook without stirring until bottom is set, 1 to 2 minutes. 3. Using a spatula, flip the eggs and cook for 20 more seconds or until cooked through. 4. Divide egg “pancake” into four equal pieces. Place each piece on a prepared tortilla and roll up. Serves 4. You will need an adult’s help with this recipe. Adapted from “The Robin Takes 5 Cookbook for Busy Families” with permission from Andrews McMeel Publishingandrewsmcmeel.com).

from The Mini Page © 2014 Universal Uclick Meet Don Spencer Don Spencer is an actor, singer and songwriter, and a host for two Australian children’s TV series. He is one of the featured performers in the Putumayo Kids’ CD “Australian Playground.” The album features songs from Australian children’s musicians and Aboriginal groups. Don, 72, started his career when he met the musician Roger Whittaker in Kenya, Africa, and they began writing songs together. Don was 20 years

photo courtesy Don Spencer old and traveling through Africa at the time. He has composed music for film, TV, orchestras and other performers. Don wrote a book/CD combination, “Please Don’t Call Me a Koala Bear.” Don grew up in Tamworth, Australia. He founded the Australian Children’s Music Foundation, which is a charity that helps disadvantaged and Aboriginal kids get a music education.

from The Mini Page © 2014 Universal Uclick ® The Mini Page TM Mighty Book of States Funny’s Mini Jokes The Mini Page’s popular series of issues about each All the following jokes have something in common. Can you state is collected here in a 156-page softcover guess the common theme or category? book. Conveniently spiral-bound for ease of use, this invaluable resource contains A-to-Z facts about Otis: What do you call a monkey that each state, along with the District of Columbia. Illustrated with colorful photographs and art, and likes to answer the phone? complete with updated information, The Mini Page Oscar: A who-rang-utan! Book of States will be a favorite in classrooms and homes for years to come. Olivia: Why did the orangutan To order, send $15.99 ($19.99 Canada) plus $5 postage and handling for each copy. Make check or money order stop playing cards in the jungle? (U.S. funds only) payable to Universal Uclick. Send to The Mini Page Book of States, Universal Uclick, P.O. Box 6814, Leawood, KS 66206. Or call toll-free 800-591-2097 or go to www.smartwarehousing.com. Oprah: There were too many cheetahs! Please send ______copies of The Mini Page Book of States (Item #0-7407-8549-4) at $20.99 each, total cost. (Bulk discount information available upon request.) Oliver: Who is the favorite president Name: ______Address: ______of the orangutans? City: ______State: ______Zip: ______Ora: Hairy Truman! Please include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page®. ® 24-4 (14); release dates: June 14-20

from The Mini Page © 2014 Universal Uclick Orangutans Need Protection Saving the habitat Working to save orangutans Orangutan Outreach uses all the Many environmental groups are money it raises to save orangutans banding together to save this rain and their habitats. The organization forest habitat and the animals that Elo is live there. Many zoos have breeding doesn’t buy the iPads. It relies on learning people and businesses to donate to climb programs to make sure animals don’t old ones. National Geographic, for trees in become extinct. example, donates its used iPads to forest Orangutan Outreach supports Apps for Apes. school. several groups that are rescuing orphaned orangutans. They care for the Orangutans in danger young apes in forest schools, teaching Orangutans are critically them how to survive in the wild. When endangered. They live in the wild the orangutans are ready, experts on only two islands, Borneo and release them into safe forest areas. Sumatra. Their rain forest habitats are being Life in the forest destroyed “Orangutan” means “person of the at a rapid forest” in Malay and Indonesian. rate. Orangutan mothers and their kids Palm oil have some of the strongest bonds of and timber any animals. Mothers have only one companies baby at a time, and that young ape

are cutting photo © Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation stays with its mom for seven or eight down and Animals being threatened years, until she has another baby. burning A baby clings to its mom as she When businesses cut down or burn forests swings through the trees. Orangutans the forests, they shoot or capture the super fast. About six football field- spend little time on the ground. animals that had been living there. sized forest areas are being wiped Many orangutan and other animal out every minute, according to the babies are orphaned. United Nations. Corporations are burning these Sun bears, Sumatran rhinos, tigers rain forests to make room for palm and elephants are also losing habitat. oil plantations. Palm oil is used to The Mini Page thanks Richard Zimmerman, lengthen the shelf life of products, executive director, Orangutan Outreach, for including milk, cookies and shampoo. help with this issue. Experts say it is now in about half of Survival Orangutan Borneo © photo Foundation The most dominant, or powerful, male has Look through your newspaper for stories the products on our grocery shelves. big cheeks. Males call out through the about animals acting smart. Burning these rain forests is forest each night before bedtime. This is releasing huge amounts of carbon known as the “long call.” The males’ giant Next week, The Mini Page is about the into the atmosphere. cheeks and throat sacs allow the long call 100th anniversary of World War I. to reach orangutans throughout the forest. The Mini Page Staff Betty Debnam - Founding Editor and Editor at Large Lisa Tarry - Managing Editor Lucy Lien - Associate Editor Wendy Daley - Artist Please include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page®. release dates: June 14-20 24 -5 (14)

from The Mini Page © 2014 Universal Uclick from The Mini Page © 2014 Universal Uclick ® Standards Spotlight: TM Orangutans Go Wild for iPads Bridget Sloan Mini Page activities meet many state and national educational standards. Each Goldie Gymnast Bridget Sloan is at home on the winners’ podium. week we identify standards that relate to The Mini Page’s content and offer A silver medalist at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics activities that will help your students reach them. Goodsport’s Supersport at age 16 and the all-around champion at the 2009 World This week’s standard: Championships, she continues to rack up titles in college. • Students understand the interactions of animals and their environments. In her first two seasons at the University of Florida, (Science: Life Science) Bridget has helped her team capture back-to-back NCAA Activities: 1. Write the letters O-R-A-N-G-U-T-A-N down the side of a piece of paper. Paste a championships and has won multiple individual All-America newspaper word that starts with each letter and describes orangutans next to honors as voted on by collegiate coaches. the appropriate letter on the paper. This past spring, Bridget’s Gators ended up tied with 2. Find five newspaper stories that show experiences that would be challenges for the University of Oklahoma at the NCAA Gymnastics orangutans. How would an orangutan solve each challenge? Championships. Rather than determine a tiebreaker, 3. In your newspaper, circle three electronic devices orangutans could work and officials named the teams co-champions — a first in NCAA three they could not. Explain your choices. Height: 5-1 gymnastics competition. 4. How are these related to orangutans: (a) tools, (b) learning, (c) rain forests and Birthdate: Bridget’s reaction showed her as a true good sport. (d) television? 6-23-92 “Personally, I think a tie is one of the best ways to do it,” she 5. Write a story about an orangutan that gets loose in your house. Describe what Hometown: said following the meet. “Not only did we get an incredible might interest the orangutan and what it might do. Pittsboro, score, but there’s no reason to break a tie when both teams (standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi) Indiana did phenomenal.”

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