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Free Range Orang Utans Now Available

We thought it was just eggs that came in the free range variety. Until we stepped into Singapore Zoo, that is, and learned about the free ranging orang utan program. Already a pretty impressive zoo (beating nearby Sentosa Island's Underwater World hands down), some of its newest features really make it worth a visit.

So what's a free ranging orang utan? It's a neat system they've set up where the orang utans don't exactly have an enclosure, but live above the zoo. A series of trees and ropes are carefully arranged so that the orang utans have a life-like natural area to swing and climb around, without (usually) hopping down into the middle of a heavily trafficked zoo path. A couple of mechanically-assisted trees can be moved when trainers want the orang utans to get a bit closer to earth, either for check-ups or public appearances. We don't speak orang utan ourselves, but we're sure they told us that if you have to be a zoo orang utan, this is the place for it.

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· Singapore From Underwater [Jaunted]