Researchers at Great Ape Trust say Knobi and Rocky, right, are largely inseparable. Here, they rest after roughhousing, a typical orangutan play activity. Great Ape Trust photo..

Dr. Rob Shumaker says introduction of orangutans retired from entertainment is the smoothest in his career

Des Moines, Iowa – September 12, 2008 – From all appearances and only DNA to dispute it, Knobi and Rocky are like mother and son. The two orangutans – Knobi, a resident of Great Ape Trust of Iowa since 2005, and Rocky, who has lived at the scientific research institute in southeast Des Moines since July – are largely inseparable, share food and show other signs of mutual affection.

The quick bond between the adult and juvenile orangutans is just one of the success stories as three longtime orangutan residents – Azy, Knobi and Allie – have been carefully introduced to Katy and Rocky, two individuals in a group of orangutans who are retiring from the entertainment and advertising industries with their move to Des Moines. A third individual in the group is scheduled to arrive at Great Ape Trust in the near future.

“It is absolutely plain that Knobi has adopted him and treats him the way you would expect a mother to treat her own offspring,” said Dr. Rob Shumaker, director of orangutan research at Great Ape Trust and the driving force behind the transfer of the orangutans, a move that has drawn praise from ape and animal-welfarer experts.

“Anyone watching them would assume that Rocky is Knobi’s son,” he said. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for both, and both seem extra happy.”

Great Ape Trust officials were told that Rocky was rejected by Katy, his biological mother, when he was born. “Rocky was happy to be adopted, and Knobi gets agitated when he is not with her,” Shumaker said. “Knobi is at her best in the role of a mother, and she appears to be tremendously happy.”

Shumaker said that the relationship between the two is an adoption in the true sense of the word, which is important beyond semantics.

“Some people take the position that only humans will adopt,” he said. “It’s clear this is an adoption.”

Almost constantly on the move, Rocky takes a break and entertains himself with a laundry basket. Great Ape Trust photo.

The arrival of the entertainment orangutans has exponentially increased social opportunities for all five orangutans now living at Great Ape Trust – Azy, Knobi and Allie, and their new companions, Rocky and Katy. That is an important ethic in the welfare of captive apes, as the more opportunities they have for social enrichment, the greater their psychological well-being.

The comfort level the five orangutans appear to have with one another is the result of careful planning by The Trust's orangutan caretakers, who Shumaker regards as some of the best in the world. Introducing orangutans to one another isn’t as simple as opening the doors of the expansive orangutan home and hoping for the best, but rather involves careful consideration of the personalities of the apes, who, like humans, are unique individuals.

“We don’t want to overwhelm anyone in this, so we’ve gone about this step by step,” Shumaker said. “It’s like moving into a house with all new roommates who knew each other, and you are the new person. It’s a transition – a very, very big transition – to be the new individual in an established social group.”

The orangutans were introduced to one another in pairs and trios until everyone had met everyone else. As caretakers grew confident the one-on-one relationships were progressing normally, the new individuals were introduced to a larger population. Now, all five orangutans are living together.

“Certainly one critical aspect of the success of these introductions is our respectful attention to each individual, including their unique personalities and their life experiences with other orangutans,” said Peter Clay, a senior orangutan caretaker who brings a wealth of experience with great apes, both in the wild and in captivity, to his job at Great Ape Trust.

Shumaker describes the careful strategic introduction as a well-written story authored by a team of dedicated professionals with similar philosophies. In addition to Shumaker and Clay, the other important team members were Andy Antilla, Tine Geurts and Rhonda Pietsch.

“Each orangutan living at Great Ape Trust has a story. Weaving their stories together is the special challenge we face in integrating new individuals with Azy, Knobi and Allie,” Clay said. “While we cannot eliminate all the stress that may go along with meeting new social partners, we strive to minimize it and consider many factors in deciding how and when to proceed.

Katy is one of two orangutans who moved to Great Ape Trust in July after retiring from the entertainment industry. Great Ape Trust photo.

“We try to enhance the potential for each new individual to form new friendships with our resident orangutans one at a time, so that they may feel progressively more comfortable. The challenge of meeting new individuals is ultimately an enormously positive one for each orangutan, and all of them will benefit from a dramatically enriched and extended social universe in which to live, play, explore and interact.”

Allie, 13, had lived with three other orangutans before she moved to Great Ape Trust from the Denver Zoo in 2005. One of the happy surprises for Shumaker and his staff is the keen interest Allie has shown in forming close bonds with both Katy, who at 19 is only a few years her senior, and Rocky, who will turn 4 on Sept. 25.

“Allie is being incredibly pro-social with Rocky and Katy, and we didn’t expect that,” Shumaker said. “She is initiating all the contact with Katy, who is still quite shy, but we’re confident Katy and Allie will strike up a wonderful friendship.”

Allie’s relationship with both Katy and Rocky was “instantly spectacular,” Shumaker said. “Female orangutans vary in how much they enjoy socializing with other individuals. Allie obviously enjoys it tremendously. Her behavior toward Rocky and Katy expands upon the solid relationships she has built with Azy and Knobi since arriving at The Trust in 2005.”

Azy, Great Ape Trust’s 30-year-old male, has lived up to his reputation as a gentle, patient and kind individual who acts as a peacemaker and mediator between individuals. He sets the tone, caretakers said.

“Azy is being really appropriate and really predictable with Katy,” Shumaker said. “It doesn’t appear that he is behaving any differently with Katy than with Knobi and Allie. He seemed to be very happy to have Allie back in the group, and he appeared to be very protective of her, sitting near her, I think, so he could see how the females interacted with each other.

“He was calm, but vigilant, which is very typical of how he behaves,” Shumaker continued. “He likes to keep the peace, and he doesn't allow any fighting. This wasn't a surprise with Azy, but this is not necessarily typical with every adult male orangutan. He really set the tone for how the introduction proceeded.”

Before Rocky moved to Great Ape Trust, the juvenile orangutan had many human social partners, but had few opportunities to form bonds with other orangutans. The most visible orangutan in entertainment before his move to Iowa, Rocky was featured in a photo spread with recording artist Fergie of The Black Eyed Peas in the magazine Elle’s July 2007 Music Edition, and in Capital One and Aflac television advertisements.

Rocky was initially tentative when re-introduced to Katy, his biological mother, and the other orangutans, but “that’s all normal,” Shumaker said. “Rocky is getting more and more confident with each new opportunity he has to meet other orangutans.”

The relationship between Azy and Rocky is still developing. It’s almost unheard of for problems to develop between adult males and youngsters of either gender, Shumaker said, and though Azy has reached out, Rocky is hesitant.

“Azy has been incredibly reserved around Rocky, making himself as non-threatening as possible when he’s around Rocky,” Shumaker said. “Rocky watches Azy intently, but is not as involved in direct play and roughhousing as he is with the females.”

Shumaker and his staff are pleased with how the orangutans are interacting now that they are all living together. “This is the smoothest, best introduction I have ever been involved with,” he said.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Great Ape Trust of Iowa is a scientific research facility in southeast Des Moines dedicated to understanding the origins and future of culture, language, tools and intelligence. When completed, Great Ape Trust will be the largest great ape facility in North America and one of the first worldwide to include all four types of great ape – bonobos, chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans – for noninvasive interdisciplinary studies of their cognitive and communicative capabilities.

Great Ape Trust is dedicated to providing sanctuary and an honorable life for great apes, studying the intelligence of great apes, advancing conservation of great apes and providing unique educational experiences about great apes. Great Ape Trust of Iowa is a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit organization and is certified by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).