Tinder for orang utans is a real thing now

Swiping has become such a pervasive way of finding love that even primates are doing it now.

It's all part of a four-year project in the Netherlands dubbed "Tinder for orang utans."

Scientists at the Apenhaul primate park will soon have an 11-year-old female orang utan named Samboja swipe through a selection of possible partners. Though, sadly, she'll have her own private app, so you won't be able to match with her next time you open Tinder.

The goal is to pair her up an orang utan she's actually attracted to and improve her breeding chances. Basically for the same reason you find yourself swiping around at 2 a.m. on a Wednesday. Except your companion for an evening can usually be right around the corner.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/Apenheul/posts/1226024174102176[/embed]

For orang utans they often have to fly in partners from far flung destinations - and the match doesn't always take. So if they can figure out ahead of time what the lady in question is looking for, it could save everyone a lot of time and money.

The biggest hurdle at the moment is that the animals keep destroying the tablets with their, uhh, enthusiasm. The Guardian reports that one touchscreen was reinforced using a steel frame and worked well with two older apes, but then Sandy - who is Samboja's mom and is nicknamed Demolition Woman - took it for a spin and destroyed it.

Hopefully they can make it work for Samboja's sake and she can find the male of her dreams.

Read the full article here.

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