Azy (orangutan)
Encyclopedia
Azy, is a 33-year-old male orangutan
. He was born at Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park in 1977 and lived briefly at the Albuquerque Zoo. He returned to the National Zoo in 1980. In 1995, Azy began living at the Think Tank building and participating in the Zoo's Orangutan Language Project with Dr. Rob Shumaker. On September 28, 2004, Azy was moved to the Great Ape Trust
of Iowa. Azy and five other orangutans from the Great Ape Trust now reside at the Indianapolis Zoo, where Dr. Shumaker serves as Vice President of Life Sciences.
Orangutan
Orangutans are the only exclusively Asian genus of extant great ape. The largest living arboreal animals, they have proportionally longer arms than the other, more terrestrial, great apes. They are among the most intelligent primates and use a variety of sophisticated tools, also making sleeping...
. He was born at Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park in 1977 and lived briefly at the Albuquerque Zoo. He returned to the National Zoo in 1980. In 1995, Azy began living at the Think Tank building and participating in the Zoo's Orangutan Language Project with Dr. Rob Shumaker. On September 28, 2004, Azy was moved to the Great Ape Trust
Great Ape Trust
The Great Ape Trust is a ape sanctuary and language study in Des Moines, Iowa, that houses orangutans and bonobos. The sanctuary opened to primates on September 28, 2004. The mission of the Great Ape Trust is studying language, culture, intelligence, and tool use in primates...
of Iowa. Azy and five other orangutans from the Great Ape Trust now reside at the Indianapolis Zoo, where Dr. Shumaker serves as Vice President of Life Sciences.