Bonobo Pulls Fire Alarm, Again
For the second time in two months, the 20-year-old monkey triggered a fire alarm at the Great Ape Trust of Iowa research center in Des Moines.
Trust officials say the trouble started at about 8:15 a.m. Wednesday, when Panbanisha wanted to go outside but the staff was too busy to let her out. Panbanisha then apparently lost her temper and started the alarm.
It's a trick Panbanisha initially learned in October when she saw a welder start the alarm. It took her less than a day to figure out how to duplicate the excitement.
When the alarm sounded again the next morning, trust officials saw the monkey sitting next to the alarm with a smile on her face.
Lead scientist Sue Savage-Rumbaugh last month said she explained the danger of such mischief and Panbanisha promised not to do it again.
This time trust officials won't rely on the bonobo's honesty. They say they are covering the alarms to prevent a third prank.