Online dating is planned for orangutans. Zookeepers in the Netherlands are planning to hook up Dutch and Indonesian orangutans over the Internet and believe the link could at some stage be used as an online dating service where apes could get to know one another and keepers could work out whether they would be compatible mates. First things first: A romantic dinner for two. "We are going to set up an Internet connection between Indonesia and Apeldoorn so that the apes can see each other and, by means of pressing a button, be able to give one another food," said Anouk Ballot, a spokeswoman for the ape park in the central Dutch city of Apeldoorn. She said the chance of two orangutans actually mating as a result of the online interaction was small due to the problem of transporting them between the Netherlands and Indonesia. "But I wouldn't rule it out completely," she said. Ballot said the primary aim of the computer link between Dutch and Indonesia was to raise public awareness of the apes and their plight. Ballot said that, in the past, captive orangutans separated by a wall have communicated with one another via a mirror placed in front of the two enclosures. Using Web cams and computer screens is an extension of that, she said. She stressed that only orangutans who show a natural interest and aptitude will take part. The park has 13 orangutans among its collection of apes. There is still work to be done to set up the Internet connection. "We need to find ape-proof cables and screens," Ballot said, adding that the zoo hopes to have the orangutans online by the end of this year or early 2007. So next time you run into someone in a chatroom and think "what a baboon," think twice: it just might be. (Agencies)

目前，荷蘭一家動(dòng)物園的管理員正籌劃通過(guò)互聯(lián)網(wǎng)為荷蘭和印度尼西亞的大猩猩“牽線搭橋”。他們認(rèn)為，這個(gè)橋梁在一定程度上就是網(wǎng)上約會(huì)服務(wù)，身處兩地的大猩猩們可以在網(wǎng)上互相認(rèn)識(shí)，管理員們也能從中看出它們是否“般配”。 其中，最重要的一個(gè)約會(huì)項(xiàng)目就是：共進(jìn)一頓浪漫美餐。 這家位于荷蘭阿珀?duì)柖鄠愂兄行牡拇笮尚蓜?dòng)物園的女發(fā)言人阿諾克·巴洛特說(shuō)：“我們將在印度尼西亞和阿珀?duì)柖鄠愔g建立一個(gè)網(wǎng)絡(luò)聯(lián)接，這樣兩地的大猩猩就能看到彼此，而且通過(guò)一個(gè)按鈕，它們還能夠互相喂食。” 她說(shuō)，由于在荷蘭和印度尼西亞兩地間運(yùn)送猩猩存在著困難，所以，它們網(wǎng)上約會(huì)后互相見面、進(jìn)行交配的機(jī)會(huì)很少，“但也不是完全沒(méi)有可能”。 巴洛特說(shuō)，在荷蘭和印度尼西亞間建立猩猩約會(huì)網(wǎng)絡(luò)的主要目的是喚起公眾對(duì)猩猩及其困境的關(guān)注。 巴洛特說(shuō)，過(guò)去，籠子里的猩猩被墻壁隔開，它們通過(guò)安在兩個(gè)圍欄前的鏡子進(jìn)行交流。如今的網(wǎng)絡(luò)和電腦屏幕是過(guò)去那種交流方式的延伸。 她指出，只有那些表現(xiàn)出自然本能和傾向的猩猩們才可以參加網(wǎng)上約會(huì)。該動(dòng)物園飼養(yǎng)的猿類動(dòng)物中，共有13只猩猩。 然而，建成這個(gè)網(wǎng)絡(luò)聯(lián)接還需要做很多事情。巴洛特說(shuō)：“我們需要安裝防止被猩猩破壞的電纜線和電腦屏幕”，此“猩猩情緣”網(wǎng)絡(luò)平臺(tái)有望在今年底或2007年初建成。 以后若在聊天室遇到一個(gè)給你感覺(jué)很像狒狒的網(wǎng)友，可得仔細(xì)想想，說(shuō)不定這個(gè)網(wǎng)友還真是個(gè)猩猩呢！ (英語(yǔ)點(diǎn)津姍姍編輯)