Humans ape nature in Australia
Humans acting as apes are on display at the Adelaide Zoo as part of an Australian behavioral nature study.
Over the next month, 24 people will be locked up, six at a time, in the old orangutan enclosure with great ape expert and psychology lecturer Carla Litchfield who will study their behavior as they eat, exercise and play together during the day while the zoo is open.
"Part of what I do at the zoo is to come up with activities for great apes and other animals to stimulate them behaviorally and keep their brains occupied," she said.
"I never know what it feels like, so a month in there will give me a good idea of the sights, smells and sounds of what it's like to be stared at by thousands of people every day."
The exercise is also meant to raise money for conservation and a new enclosure for primates at the zoo.
Copyright 2007 by United Press International