Orangutan play on and beyond a touchscreen.

Abstract

Non-humans in captivity require enrichment, which often takes the form of play. Over the course of past decades, various technologies have been introduced in zoos around the world to support captive animals' wellbeing. With a critical design / player ethnography approach, TOUCH project brings computer technologies to orangutans living at the Tasikoki Wildlife Rescue Centre in Indonesia. This paper discusses the role of play in the lives of two young male orangutans, Bento and Is, and explores how play can serve as a basis for cross-species communication between humans and orangutans.