Apes, monkeys, gorillas, chimps: they’re fascinating creatures. Part of their allure is their similarity to humans. Indeed, I think part of what we like about higher-order animals is when they do anthropomorphic things. Everyone loved Koko because she had a pet kitten and talked with a Speak-&-Spell. Even more alien creatures with human abilities draw our attention. I love octopuses because they’re beautiful, odd creatures, but also because they can open jars and possess memory.
There’s also the connection to primal energy: a silver-back gorilla is as fat and hairy as I am, but it could rip my head off. King Kong holds such a powerful presence in our cinematic minds because it’s the story of Beauty and the Beast—the love of the soft and feminine subduing an unbridled, masculine force.
So this story from The Epoch Times about a recovered orangutan really caught my attention. A female orangutan was shot and separated from her baby in Indonesia. A team from International Animal Rescue managed to save the poor creature, who was starving on the jungle floor, and release her a few weeks later into a primate sanctuary.
The Portly Politico 