The #1 source for news about monkeys and apes

[Carrie McLaren <carrie AT stayfreemagazine.org>]

Malaysia General News

February 09, 2001, Friday

HEADLINE: CHIMPANZEE DEMONSTRATES ABILITY TO OPERATE VENDING MACHINE 

SOURCE: Japan-Chimpanzee

DATELINE: TACHIKAWA, Japan, Feb. 9, 2001

BODY:  A six-year-old female chimpanzee at a Tokyo zoo today demonstrated
for some 50 reporters her ability to purchase drinks from a vending
machine, zoo officials said.

Chiko, a chimpanzee in the Tama Zoo, located in the city of Hino, learned
to insert coins into the machine to purchase the beverages as part of the
zoo's research studies to assess the apes' learning abilities and further
develop them.

Today, reporters watched as Chiko quickly grabbed 10 yen coins thrown to
her by a zookeeper and scampered over to the vending machine, accomplishing
five successful attempts to buy canned juices in just 30 minutes.

The vending machine, modified to allow drinks to be purchased for 10 yen,
was set up near the breeding grounds of the zoo's 17 chimpanzees last July,
according to the officials.

Chiko's first successful attempt to operate the machine was on Feb. 2, the
officials said, adding that from late October, zookeepers have
been demonstrating how to insert the coins and extract cans of juice from
the vending machine.

Initial attempts to teach the animals by showing them videos of
humans operating the machine were unsuccessful, they said.

Demonstrations of the chimpanzee's skills will be open to the public this
afternoon.