Monkey Photographer Becomes Facebook Hit

Nonja, an orangutan, is a prolific photographer at the Vienna Zoo, and her snapshots are a hit with fans all around the world.

By Kathryn Hawkins. Posted on December 08 2009

Image Source: Facebook (Nonja's Profile)

Nonja’s photographs—self-portraits, pictures of her surroundings, and images of her roommates—don’t look like anything too special. Many of them are blurry or out of focus, and she doesn’t exactly have Henri Cartier-Bresson’s eye for composition. Nonetheless, Nonja’s snapshots are nothing short of a hit. She has more than 56,000 fans on Facebook, who eagerly await every new photograph that comes from her camera.

Though Nonja may not be the next Ansel Adams, she’s pretty good for an ape.

Nonja is a 33-year-old orangutan at Vienna Zoo. As a special project, Nonja has been given a heavy-duty digital camera, designed to cope with her rough play. Every time Nonja clicks the shutter button, the camera dispenses a raisin. Though she doesn’t realize she’s taking photographs, the ape has gotten pretty fond of clicking that button.

When Nonja takes a photograph, the image is instantly uploaded to her Facebook page, via Wi-Fi. The snapshots, while sometimes blurry, offer a revealing look at Nonja and her companions’ always-interesting lives at the Zoo.

Check out a sampling of Nonja’s photos below, or become her fan on Facebook to see more. (While you’re there, join ours, too!)

Gallery

Filed under: Animals and Pets, Arts and Culture, Weird,

Liked this? You'll love these, too:

Voytek, the Soldier Bear

Voytek may sound like an average (G.I.) Joe – but there are a few important distinctions. Voyek was quite a bit hairier than his fellow men. He could sleep for weeks at a time, eat every last bite of whatever sludge was being served at the mess hall – and did we mention he weighed nearly 500 pounds? Read More
5 More Life-Saving Animals: Filippo the Dolphin, Binti Jua the Gorilla, and More

A continuation of our story on 10 animals who've rescued their human friends. Read More
A Free App that Helps Your Pets Stay Healthy

Purina's new Pet Health app helps you keep your animal friends in top shape. Read More
It’s Snowing Spiders in Wagga Wagga, Australia

Thousands of wolf spiders have brought their spider webs to the fields of flooded Wagga Wagga. Read More
Pet Cat Noah Detects Aneurysm in Owner Janet Batten

A tabby named Noah performed a "cat scan" on Nevada owner Janet Batten. Read More