Zoo Atlanta Announces Opening Of Game Kiosk For Orangutans

	The Orangutans can play games on their new "learning tree" located in their exhihbit

ATLANTA - April 12, 2007 - Atlanta representatives joined by representatives of the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience and IBM announced today the opening a new experience at Zoo Atlanta which will allow visitors to learn more about the cognitive abilities of orangutans.

The Orangutan Learning Tree will include daily demonstrations by the orangutans through their interactions with a game kiosk. During these demonstrations, orangutans will be provided the opportunity to play a varied selection of games to provide scientists with the opportunity to collect on data on their cognitive abilities. Successful completion of the exercise will provide the orangutan with a treat to reward their behavior and participation. Visitors will be able to witness this demonstration on a screen from the front of the habitat.

“Science has long wondered how intelligent the apes might be and this is only one part of the research we are doing here at Zoo Atlanta to add to that body of knowledge,” said Dennis Kelly, Zoo Atlanta president and CEO. “These efforts are one more tool that we can use to support conservation efforts of these species in the wild.”

Madu and Bernas inspect the new kiosk

The addition of this multimedia experience and its research capabilities were made possible through the resources and contributions of the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience (CBN), the IBM Corporation and an anonymous donor. The funding by an anonymous donor along with funding from CBN’s Venture Grant program provided the resources necessary to create touch-screen computers for the exhibit that would withstand the elements and their regular use by the orangutans.

"The partnership between scientists at the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience and Zoo Atlanta allows us to study the behavior of these animals in new ways while bringing the excitement of research to the public," said Dr. Elliott Albers, CBN Director.

Along with these contributions, local IBM employees, seeing an opportunity to participate in an innovative project, stepped in during the developmental stage to offer their expertise and resources. IBM employees have donated hundreds of hours of their time along with the state-of the-art kiosk. The additional station will provide visitors basic information about each of the orangutans in Zoo Atlanta’s collection, as well as information about the challenges this species face in the wild.

The monitors being used in the Orangutan Learning Tree are produced by Touch International and this is the first time that their monitors have been used by animals.

Following today’s formal opening of the experience and to highlight the importance of cognitive research,  the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience will be hosting “The Brains Rule!” exposition at Zoo Atlanta on Saturday, April 14, from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. The exposition is a fun, interactive program for all ages that features a 40-foot neuron and more than 30 interactive hands-on education stations exploring various topics related to the brain and behavior.

About CBN
The Center for Behavioral Neuroscience (CBN) is a consortium of seven metro Atlanta colleges and universities including: Georgia State University, Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Spelman College. More than 150 neuroscientists, including graduate students and postdocs, participate in the research program and share the goal of working to understand the neurobiology of social behavior. The CBN also directs a comprehensive education program designed to educate the next generation of scientists. For more information on CBN, please visit www.cbn-atl.org.

About IBM
IBM has been a proud member of the Atlanta community for over 90 years. For more information on IBM, please visit www.ibm.com/ibm/ibmgives/

About Touch International
Founded by industry veterans, Touch International, Inc. is a privately-held, worldwide supplier of high-quality touch screen components. Through its expanded manufacturing facilities, Touch International is able to offer a wide variety and rapid delivery of lower-priced, high-reliability products, based on customer needs and specifications. Touch International is headquartered in Austin, with seven factories strategically placed around the globe, and additional sales and support offices on four continents.

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