Anne Russon, psychology professor at York’s Glendon College, spoke about her latest research that shows orangutans have conquered their fear of water so they can fish for food, on CBC Radio’s “Quirks & Quarks” April 23:

Orangutans are generally not fond of water, but Dr. Anne Russon, a professor of psychology at the York University, and an orangutan researcher, has discovered that some of them have conquered their aversion in order to take up a new avocation: fishing.  She and her colleagues have observed apes at the sanctuary she's worked at scooping fish from shallow ponds, and even using sticks to move the fish to where they can be more easily captured.  They then enjoy a little fresh sushi.  This group of orangutans are rescued animals that grew up in captivity, and this behaviour hasn't been seen in their wild cousins.

You can listen to Russon's interview on the CBC website, which runs for nine minutes.

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer, with files courtesy of YFile– York University’s daily e-bulletin.