When a tourist approached the bars of the orangutan cage at a
zoo in the Philippines to get a closer look, he didn't expect to
lose his shirt.
He got more than he bargained for when the cheeky animal made
a grab for his clothing, tugged it off his back and eventually
worked out how to put the T-shirt on himself.
In a hilarious clip posted on YouTube, the tourist is seen
involved in a desperate tug of war with the orangutan, called
Carlo, as he tries to maintain his dignity and stay fully
clothed.
A woman is seen laughing as
she attempts to bat the animal's hand away, but her attempts to
help her friend are in vain.
Much to the Carlo's delight,
the tourist gives up the garment and makes a hasty retreat leaving
the beast to run around his cage clutching his prized T-shirt and
holding it aloft for all to see.
In his attempts to mock the
tourist, the clever orangutan attempts to put the T-shirt over his
head, but a little confused, he only succeeds in putting it over
his head and obscuring his vision.
Wearing the shirt like a
headscarf, Carlo bounds around the cage before considering another
attempt at putting it on properly.
Much to the amusement of
bystanders at the Davao Crocodile Park, the primate's second
attempt to dress himself is more successful than the
first.
Although the shirt is inside
out and he only manages to put one arm into its sleeve, the ape
mimics us humans and delightedly struts around his
cage.
It is hardly surprising that
Carlo manages to work out how to put on the shirt - orangutans are
regarded as the most intelligent of the primates.
They are known for being able
to use a wide variety of sophisticated tools and make up elaborate
nests to sleep in.
Experts have extensively
studied the species for their learning capability.
