A little memorial sketch/ ape practice.
It wasn't widely reported, but I was saddened to learn of the passing of Chantek, a orangutan at the Atlanta Zoo. While not as well known as other great apes who mastered ASL, Chantek is unique in that his early years were spent at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where he learned sign language. Apparently, the people working with him took him out for fast food, and Chantek loved cheeseburgers. As he grew, he figured out how to escape his enclosure, and for the safety of the students, as well as his own safety, he was eventually transferred to the Atlanta Zoo. I saw a documentary about Chantek several years ago, and was fascinated by his ability to learn and communicate. The part that really stood out to me is that after Chantek was transferred to the zoo, the people who worked with him at the University would occasionally come and visit, and he would recognize them and sign "cheeseburger."
RIP Chantek, hope you finally got all the burgers you could ever hope for.