Mr Zimmerman said the idea was to provide a "bit of fun" for the animals, who only get to use the devices for two short periods every week.
"What we really want to do is to allow the orangutans to really play - to do paintings, to watch videos, to do almost as a human child would do with basic curiosity."
The animals have, Mr Zimmerman said, been captivated by watching television on the devices, particularly when it featured other orangutans, and even more so when they saw faces they recognised.
--snip--
He said the most exciting aspect of all was watching how the animals reacted to seeing themselves, and other apes on screen.
"Orangutans love looking at each other," said Mr Zimmerman, adding that one of the apes, 31-year-old MJ, is a fan of David Attenborough programmes.
"The orangutans loved seeing videos of themselves - so there is a little vanity going on - and they like seeing videos of the orangutans who are in the other end of the enclosure.
"So if we incorporate cameras, they can watch each other."
MORE: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16354093
See also...
Great Apes Make Sophisticated Decisions
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111229091636.htm
