Critically endangered orangutan at Oklahoma City Zoo creates digital art NFT

OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — A critically endangered orangutan at the Oklahoma City Zoo created the first digital art NFT designed by an orangutan.

The zoo's 21-year-old Sumatran orangutan, Elok, was assisted by digital technology and his caretakers.

Instead of using traditional paint and canvas, the zoo wanted to see how Elok would engage with a 2-foot digital brush provided to him and a 3x4 foot screen just outside his indoor habitat.

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"When Elok moved the digital brush, a motion detecting device made from a modified Xbox captured the brush’s movement and projected the design onto the digital screen," the zoo said in a press release. "Both the finished creative product and the act of creation were recorded. After a few tries, each rewarded by edible treats including animal crackers and prunes, Elok quickly became adept with the digital wand and created a series of stunning digital artworks"

NFTs are digital assets that signify unique, virtual collectibles, such as art, that cannot be copied or replaced.

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Elok's artwork will be auctioned off on Friday at opensea.io. Net proceeds will help non-profit science-based conservation organizations working to protect wild orangutans and other endangered species.

Sumatran orangutans are listed as critically endangered in the wild. Globally, 60 percent of primate species are now threatened with extinction and 75 percent have declining populations.

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