How smart are orangutans? - Lu Gao

譯者: Aaron Shoo 審譯者: 庭芝 梁

Fu Manchu was one of the most notorious escape artists

傅滿洲是1960年代

at the Omaha Zoo in the 1960s.

奧瑪哈動物園有名的逃脫大師。

But he wasn't a performer,

但「他」可不是普通藝人，

he was an orangutan.

牠是隻紅毛猩猩。

The keepers who locked his enclosure every night

每晚替牠上鎖的管理員，

were baffled to find him outside the next day

隔天都會發現牠跑出來，

hanging out with friends in a tree,

不是和朋友掛在樹上，

or sunning on the roof.

就是在做日光浴。

Only after installing cameras did they realize

直到安裝了攝影機才發現，

Fu Manchu had been picking the lock

傅滿洲會拿鐵絲開鎖，

with a metal wire that he kept hidden under his cheek pouch.

然後把工具藏在頰囊裡。

The keepers shouldn't have been surprised at Fu Manchu's cunningness.

傅滿洲這麼聰明其實不令人意外。

Along with our other great ape cousins,

牠和我們的人猿近親一樣，

the gorillas,

大猩猩、黑猩猩、侏儒黑猩猩等，

chimps,

and bonobos,

they belong to our Hominidae family tree,

都是「人科」的大家族，

which stretches back 14 million years.

可以追溯到一千四百萬年前。

But it's not just their striking red hair

但鮮明的紅毛

that makes orangutans unique among our cousins.

不是牠們和其他人猿唯一的差別。

As the only great apes from Asia,

身為唯一源自亞洲的人猿，

orangutans have adapted to a life high in the rain forest canopies.

紅毛猩猩棲息在雨林的樹頂。

Many of the skills they learn are transmitted through the special bond

生活所需的技能

透過特殊的母子聯繫代代相傳，

they have with their mothers,

the most extended in the animal kingdom next to humans.

是僅次於人類的密切情感交流。

Orangutan mothers usually give birth to one baby at a time,

紅毛猩猩通常一胎只生一個，

waiting up to eight years before having another.

等到第一個孩子八歲後， 才會再生下一隻。

This gives the young,

高度依賴母親的紅毛猩猩寶寶

who begin as fully dependent infants,

plenty of time to learn how to climb

因此有足夠時間學習攀爬，

and distinguish the hundreds of plants and fruits that make up their diet.

分辨數百種食用的植物及水果。

Female orangutans even stay with their mothers into their teen years

母猩猩還會在媽媽身邊待到成年，

to learn child-rearing.

學習照顧寶寶。

As they grow up, orangutans also develop a complex set of cooperative social skills

紅毛猩猩長大後，

藉由同儕手足的互動，

by interacting with their peers and siblings.

發展出一套複雜的社會分工。

Much like ourselves,

就像人類一樣，

young orangutans involuntarily mimic the facial expressions

年輕的紅毛猩猩

會不自覺模仿玩伴的表情及情緒，

and emotions of their playmates,

with behaviors that closely parallel human smiling and laughter.

有點像人類的笑容和笑聲。

Once they finally venture out on their own,

等到牠們摸索得差不多了，

orangutans continue to develop their resourcefulness,

還會舉一反三，

putting the skills they've learned into practice.

將所學的技巧應用在生活中。

Adults build a new nest each night by carefully weaving twigs together,

成年猩猩每天晚上 會用樹枝編一個新窩，

topping them with soft leaves, pillows, and blankets.

上面會覆蓋軟葉、枕頭和毯子。

This process requires dexterity, coordination, and an eye for design.

這需要靈巧、協調 和獨道的藝術眼光。

Orangutans also use a variety of tools to make their lives in the jungle easier.

紅毛猩猩也懂得用各種器具輔助。

They turn branches into fly swatters and back scratchers,

樹枝可以當蒼蠅拍或不求人，

construct umbrellas when it rains,

下雨的時候撐雨傘，

make gloves from leafy pads,

用樹葉做手套，

and even use leaves as bandages to dress their wounds.

甚至用樹葉當繃帶處理傷口。

But orangutan intelligence goes far beyond jungle survival.

但牠們的智慧遠超過生存所需。

Research in controlled environments has shown that orangutans are self-aware,

在控制環境的實驗顯示， 紅毛猩猩有自我意識，

being one of the few species to recognize their own reflections.

是少數認得自己倒影的物種。

They also display remarkable foresight, planning, and cognition.

他們也展示高超的預測、計畫和認知。

In one experiment, researchers taught an orangutan to use a straw

一個實驗中，

研究員教猩猩用吸管喝果汁。

to extract his favorite fruit soup from a box.

That orangutan was later given the choice between the straw

之後再讓猩猩選，

吸管或直接可以吃的葡萄，

or a grape that could be eaten right away,

and he chose the straw just in case he was given another box of soup.

結果他選吸管， 因為他想拿到另一罐果汁。

In another experiment, orangutans figured out how to reach peanuts

另一個實驗中， 紅毛猩猩想出朝管子吐滿口水，

at the bottom of long tubes by spitting water into them.

來拿到管子底部的花生。

While orangutans are able to pass cognitive tests with flying colors,

雖然牠們能漂亮通過認知測驗，

there are certain problems that they need our help to solve.

許多問題仍有待人類協助解決。

Indonesia has the world's highest rate of deforestation,

印尼是森林砍伐率最高的國家，

and millions of acres of rain forest are burned annually

每年有數百萬畝雨林被銷毀，

to support the logging and palm oil industries.

換取伐木及棕櫚油業的發展。

Deforestation exposes the 30,000 orangutans remaining in the wild

森林消失導致三萬隻紅毛猩猩

暴露在盜獵的風險中。

to poachers.

They kill mothers so that baby orangutans can be sold as exotic pets.

媽媽被殺害， 幼崽當成寵物販售。

But fortunately, the story often doesn't end here.

幸好這不是牠們的結局。

Orphans can be confiscated and given a second chance.

被拯救的幼崽獲得重生的機會。

At special forest schools, they recover from emotional trauma

在特殊的森林學校， 他們一邊撫平心中的創傷，

and continue to develop essential life skills.

一邊學習生活所需技能。

Against all odds, these orphans demonstrate incredible resilience

克服一切困難，

牠們展現驚人的韌性和學習力。

and readiness to learn.

In Malay, the word orangutan translates literally to "the person of the forest,"

紅毛猩猩的馬來語 直譯為「森林中的人」，

a reminder of our common lineage.

可見我們有多麼相似。

And despite orangutans being some of the smartest animals on Earth,

儘管紅毛猩猩 是地球上最聰明的物種之一，

outsmarting their extinction requires the creativity, empathy, and foresight

要克服滅種危機，

仍然仰賴人類的 創意、同理心和遠見。

that our species share.