Primates of all kinds are some of our closest relatives.
Although all life forms share the majority of their DNA, primates have much more in common with us than certain other animals. As a result, they have a higher ability to communicate with us and to empathize with what we’re feeling. Some of these moments show how much more closely connected we are to animals than we think.
It’s no secret that orangutans are actually pretty smart – and sometimes even playful – but this interaction with a burn victim has left many astonished. Rocky is a popular orangutan and according to one of the employees of the zoo he resides in, he’s especially known for his curious personality. Curiosity isn’t the only thing that shines within Rocky because he’s a remarkably intelligent animal as well.
According to Orangutan.org, orangutan’s are “among the smartest land animals on the planet.” Orangutans are one of a few species that are classified as the “Great Apres.” The other great apes include: Chimpanzees and Gorillas. Orangutan individuals living in a “richer social environment, i.e. one with more opportunities for social learning, might have better cognitive skills.” Well, Rocky lived in an environment where he was exposed to a lot of people, but his reaction to meeting one, in particular, would go viral.
Recently, Rocky came across a woman with severe burn wounds.
Darci Miller was involved in a fire in 2015 and was left with multiple severe burn wounds and other injuries. She has difficulties moving her neck from left to right and has gone through countless surgeries to ease the pain. Because she also suffered burn wounds on her face, she received laser treatment to help ease the redness caused by the fire. Darci’s motto is “no pain, no gain”, and while she has shown remarkable recovery since, her injuries are still a part of her life.
Darci was visiting a zoo in Putnam County, Indiana along with her fiancé Jason Castello.
When they saw Rocky in his orangutan habitat looking through the glass, curiosity spiked for both Rocky and Darci.
It didn’t take long before Rocky started to notice that Darci had tons of bandages around her body and arms.
The woman recently went through surgery, and Rocky could notice that something was wrong. The moment Darci looked through the window, she didn’t leave Rocky’s sight. The interaction between the both of them is truly remarkable, and someone luckily caught it all on tape.
After looking at her bandages with large eyes, Rocky started to interact with Darcy even more. He took a genuine interest in her and was seemingly wondering why she needed bandages on her neck, shoulder, and arm.
The orangutan then simply pointed to the bandaged spots, as if he wanted to see what was underneath. Rocky was curious because he had probably never seen a person with bandages like Darci had.
You can see Darci hesitating a bit at first because she had no idea that Rocky would be smart enough to realize that there was something underneath.
After a while, Darci peeled off one of her bandages and showed Rocky the remains of her burn wounds. Rocky’s expressions when he learns why Darci needed bandages are fascinating and certainly don’t disappoint. It’s mesmerizing to see that monkeys can show a level of intelligence and empathy that isn’t unlike humans.
Be sure to check out the great footage in the video below.
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