Tag: Sumatran

Sumatran orangutans start crafting their engineering skills as infants

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At six months old, human infants are still working on sitting up by themselves. But baby orangutans at that age are already developing their engineering skills.

Orangutans build complex sleeping platforms as high as 20 meters in the tree canopy — the equivalent of four stories above the ground — every single evening. The nests are intricate and can include woven elements, pillows, blankets, padding and roofs to protect from rain.

But nest building isn’t instinctive to orangutans — it

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Lost Island of Gold may have been found by Sumatran fishermen

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The site of a fabled Indonesian kingdom renowned for its golden treasures may finally have been discovered on Sumatra, known as the Island of Gold.

For the past five years, fishermen exploring the crocodile-infested Musi River, near Palembang, have hauled a staggering treasure trove from the depths – including gemstones, gold ceremonial rings, coins and bronze monks’ bells.

One of the most incredible finds so far is a jewel-encrusted life-size statue of Buddha from the 8th century, which is worth

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