My
husband is a good man. Last night he had to endure two hours of listening to me
pop off after watching a documentary about an orangutan named Chantek. Chantek was raised like a human baby (crib
and all) at the University of Tennessee as part of a research project. Chantek was
taught sign language, which he used to express himself in the same way humans
do. Chantek tells you exactly what he wants to eat when he’s hungry, he asks
for cuddles, and tells you when his feelings are hurt. He will even pair up
words for things he has no signs for, such as “tomato toothpaste” for “ketchup.”
Treating
Chantek like a person made him believe he was a person. He understood the
concept of earning and saving money to buy things he wanted, he would ask for “work”
to perform in exchange for a drink. He even understood that a whole world
existed outside of his home and could navigate you to his favorite Dairy Queen
where he would use the money he saved to buy ice cream. Chantek described
himself as an “orangutan person.” His ability to communicate gave him the
ultimate power- a voice.
And then
it was all taken away. Chantek’s freedom was stripped when the research project
ended, forcing him to move into a small cage where he was quarantined for 11 years.
He was depressed, often begging to be driven him home in a car. Then, he was
adopted by the Atlanta Zoo, where they placed him with other orangutans that he
called “orange dogs,” not recognizing that they were just like him. Still, the
zoo believes he should be treated like an ape. They don’t sign with him and he’s
on a vegetarian diet.
The woman
responsible for giving Chantek his voice is Dr. H. Lyn Miles. Chantek calls her
mom and often signs that he loves her. Dr. Miles visits Chantek in the zoo
but gets no special privileges. She stands on the outside of the exhibit like
any other member of the public and signs with Chantek, where he pleads for
meat, ice cream, and freedom.
So I’m
pissed. Everyone in Chantek’s life has wronged him. Dr. Miles wronged him by
teaching him to be human when he didn’t stand a chance being treated like one. Chantek
went from being heard, listened to, and engaged with, to being ignored,
silenced, and put away. For 11 years Chantek told Dr. Miles his feelings were
hurt and that he hated being caged. And once he found a new home at the zoo, they
wronged him by pretending he was just another ape. The hammocks at the zoo were
secured by small washers, the same washers he used as money 11 years prior. He
would remove the washers from the hammocks and give them to the zoo keeper so
that he could “buy” a drink. The zoo keepers laughed and ignored the gesture,
chalking it up as just another thing Chantek will need to unlearn.
Chantek has suffered enough. He's 37 years old and still has half his life left to live. He
deserves more because he is more. He deserves to be treated with dignity and he
deserves to be HEARD. Just imagine: the only language speaking ape in the
entire world…and no ones listening.
Shame on you Dr. Lyn Miles, the University
of Tennessee, and the Atlanta Zoo.
Update: I've been emailed by individuals wanting to know what they can do to make a difference in Chantek's life. There is no clear answer but writing directly to Atlanta Zoo would make a huge difference: advancement@zooatlanta.org or by mail to: Zoo Atlanta- 800 Cherokee Ave SE Atlanta GA 30315-1440.
Update: I've been emailed by individuals wanting to know what they can do to make a difference in Chantek's life. There is no clear answer but writing directly to Atlanta Zoo would make a huge difference: advancement@zooatlanta.org or by mail to: Zoo Atlanta- 800 Cherokee Ave SE Atlanta GA 30315-1440.
