Hairless monkeys on display

January 2, 2007 7:06 PM

Hey, Mum, look at the hairless monkeys! A group of hairless monkeys are the latest exhibit at Adelaide Zoo. Some background information on the project is available here (you may wonder, as I did, why it took a news site to provide the background to the project) and a live stream from the enclosure here. [more inside]
posted by dg (22 comments total)

The project claims that it is intended to:

• Create awareness of the closeness of humans to their primate cousins
• Provide a platform for research on animal behaviour and enrichment
• Raise awareness for the conservation needs of primates in the wild
• Raise funds to build Australia's largest chimpanzee exhibit at Monarto Zoological Park in South Australia.

A similar project was discussed here some time ago. Also, sometimes, predictions on MetaFilter do come true.
posted by dg at 7:07 PM on January 2, 2007

you don't have to go to adelaide. metafilter is full of hairless monkeys.
posted by bruce at 7:27 PM on January 2, 2007

Let's go watch the monkeys do it.
posted by nyxxxx at 7:28 PM on January 2, 2007

So this is another reality show, is that what you're saying?
posted by Hildegarde at 7:37 PM on January 2, 2007

Ook-a-a-a-a-a ook oooook!
posted by loquacious at 7:38 PM on January 2, 2007

Also: MonkeyFilter.
posted by loquacious at 7:40 PM on January 2, 2007

We lost our tales and have been apes ever since.
posted by furtive at 7:40 PM on January 2, 2007

err... We lost our tails and have been apes ever since.
posted by furtive at 7:40 PM on January 2, 2007

Is there an equivalent clip to the chimp sampling its own pee from this project? I didn't find it if there is.
posted by maxwelton at 7:53 PM on January 2, 2007

I myself am hairy.
posted by gubo at 7:54 PM on January 2, 2007 [1 favorite]

"look that monkey's scared! it's shaking in fear."

"no, it's masturbating."

"it's masturbating in fear!"

-clerks: the cartoon
posted by jcterminal at 8:36 PM on January 2, 2007

Whatever.... hairless monkeys are just mindless beasts without thought or emotion. Who cares about them?

Seriously great post!
posted by eparchos at 9:07 PM on January 2, 2007

We are devolution
posted by rob511 at 9:15 PM on January 2, 2007

This post gave me a moment of genuine curiousity about what a hairless chimpanzee would look like. (I assumed "homely.") Then a moment of disappointment at discovering that not only was it a euphemism for humans, but fully clothed humans at that.

(Interest piqued, decides to follow up on rumours that the anatomy of hairless apes is more fully documented on other websites.)
posted by bicyclefish at 10:00 PM on January 2, 2007

I think the question we're all asking ourselves is: WHY AREN'T THEY NAKED?!!?!
posted by tehloki at 11:45 PM on January 2, 2007

Nyxxx, we do not go to the zoo to watch the monkey's "do it"!

We go to the zoo to watch the monkeys make amoré.
posted by rifflesby at 12:25 AM on January 3, 2007 [1 favorite]

Are they preparing a special cage to house the Chimp in Charge when he retires in January, 2009? I think that would be highly appropriate, and perhaps lots more fun than more traditional plans (gallows, etc).
posted by Goofyy at 2:36 AM on January 3, 2007

The final weekend in January, the four weekly winners will come together for the final lock in and voting will commence to find our first SUPER HUMAN and Zoo ambassador. The Super Human prize pack will include an overseas trip and more.

So this is sorta like Australia's version of Survivor?
posted by leftcoastbob at 5:07 AM on January 3, 2007

You and me, baby, ain't nothing but mammals, so..
posted by Anything at 5:40 AM on January 3, 2007

Is this timed to coincide with the new series of Celebrity Big Brother that starts tonight? It's got a load of people you've never heard of!
posted by afx237vi at 5:50 AM on January 3, 2007

Nice use of the SCIENCE! tag...

I assume that the fact that all the people chosen for the exhibit are white is in order to sidestep reminders of less glorious instances of human exhibition...
posted by jokeefe at 7:54 AM on January 3, 2007

More likely, jokeefe, is that the vast majority of people in Australia are white (or white-ish at least). Also, the people chosen all applied to be part of the project. I guess either all the people who applied were white, or the selection process included a PC-filter, preventing any possible racist slurs by picking a black person for the role of "hairless monkey", given the historical connotations that may bring up.
posted by dg at 2:13 PM on January 3, 2007