Online 'dating service' in the works for orangutans

Single, male, 180 lbs with red hair, seeks female for long-distance relationship, with possibility of meeting and having children. Interests include tree climbing, grooming and long walks in the rainforest.

Zookeepers in the Netherlands are creating an online "dating service" to connect Dutch and Indonesian orangutans, in hopes that they can source out compatible mates.

An Internet connection will allow the apes to view each other with a press of a button and watch each other eat or groom.

Another aim of the system is to raise public awareness for the apes, as oil plantations and logging are threatening the species in Indonesia's Borneo Island, activists claim.

Only orangutans that have expressed interest and aptitude will take part in testing the system.

The zookeepers say that having two apes eventually meet may be difficult, considering the distance between the Netherlands and Indonesia, but experts have not ruled out the idea.

Meanwhile, the zookeepers say the equipment still needs to be ape-proofed, though they hope to have the orangutans online by the end of 2007.

Photography: Columbia University

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, August 17 edition