Page:Babyhood of Wild Beasts.djvu/43

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BABY ORANG-UTANS
33

Orang, try to open the door of his cage. His keeper had just fed him. He had unlocked the cage with his keys, put the food within, relocked the door and departed. "Baldy" watched him intently during these operations. After the keeper had disappeared he took two straws, twisted them into the crude likeness of a key, inserted them in the lock and turned them several times. Then he tried the door and seemed surprised that it did not open. He repeated the performance and was disappointed because it would not work. This big fellow was full of mimicry.

A learned gentleman paused before his cage, adjusted his eyeglasses and carefully observed him. "Baldy" quickly snatched a nearby newspaper, tore a strip from its pages and with his finger punched two holes in it. He held it across his eyes, peering quizzically at the gentleman, who beat a hasty exit.

In disposition they are gentle and affectionate, exceedingly fond of human beings and take to training like a duck to water. It is a pity the anthropoid (man-like) apes do not live long in captivity. Rarely an Orang is seen 4 feet tall,