Chantek the adorable orange orangutan who stole our hearts for 39 years has very sadly passed away.
Chantek, the orangutan, was the star of a 2014 documentary called “The Ape Who Went to College” and was a pretty big deal in the ape world.
He was one of the first apes to learn sign language , he could (but sometimes wouldn’t) clean his room, he made and used tools and could memorise and direct routes to various locations, though his favourite journey was always to a fast-food restaurant or a restaurant.
Chantek, lived the majority of his life in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Zoo Atlanta explains that Chantek had a “very unconventional upbringing,” as he was an ape who was reared by humans in a human setting.
From the time he was about nine months old anthropologists taught him American Sign Language (ASL) as part of a language research project.
This led to him becoming one of the few apes in the world who could communicate with sign language, though Zoo Atlanta notes he was timid when signing around individuals he didn’t know.
“He was shy about signing with individuals he did not know and often chose forms of communication which are more typical of orangutans, such as vocalisations and unique hand gestures”.
A spokesperson from Zoo Atlanta shared the sadness everyone feels concerning the great ape passing.
“Chantek will be deeply missed by his family here at Zoo.”
“He had such a unique and engaging personality and special ways of relating to and communicating with those who knew him best. It has been our privilege to have had him with us for 20 years.”
The reason for his passing is not yet known, though it was noted he suffered from a heart condition.
