Janey the Artiste profile picture

Janey the Artiste

A planet where apes evolved from men? There's got to be an answer. - Charleton Heston in Planet of t

About Me


Artsy doesn’t even begin to describe Janey – a Bornean orangutan at the San Diego Zoo. She draws. She paints. She weaves. She does her own makeup. She pantomimes. She entertains the crowd. And most of all, she loves doing all this for human visitors! Janey is the most intelligent of the group of orangutans at the San Diego Zoo, and the most social as well – always the center of attention.
Janey was born in Borneo sometime in 1962 and had been a family “pet.” She was donated to the Zoo in 1984, along with other orangutans and gorillas, from a private animal collection owned by the late Gordon Mills, the agent to Welsh singer Tom Jones. Janey is extremely fond of humans, spending much of her day by the viewing window while interacting with people and mimicking them. She is inventive, curious and a handful for keepers because she will dismantle just about anything within reach. For those out of reach objects, Janey weaves her nesting material into a rope, which she then uses as a lasso!
Janey loves painting and recently several of her paintings were auctioned at the Zoo to raise money for great ape field research and conservation projects like supporting rescue centers in Congo and Borneo that care for apes orphaned due to the bushmeat trade and poaching.
Now, while supplies last, four of her original pieces have been made into limited edition giclee prints on canvas. These high-quality reproductions are made with archival ink on cotton canvas with a silkscreened UV varnish for protection. Visit www.shopzoo.com to see her artwork and purchase one for your very own. This artwork benefits the ongoing worldwide conservation initiatives of the non-profit San Diego Zoo.
Janey, along with her "roommates" at the San Diego Zoo, has her own live Webcam , too! You can see what she's up to everyday by clicking here . You might even catch her in one of her artistic moods, creating a new masterpiece!

My Interests

Janey is an artist extraordinaire who draws pictures using paint and edible chalk during enrichment sessions.
Several of her paintings were auctioned off at the San Diego Zoo and online. All money generated from the artwork auction will supports field conservation efforts to save great apes from extinction.

I'd like to meet:

You! Janey loves to meet new people. She is especially fond of people who care about protecting her native Borneo and neighboring Sumatra. These islands in Indonesia are the only two places in the wild where orangutans live, but Janey’s wild relatives are threatened with extinction because of rapid deforestation, palm oil plantations and the illegal pet trade!
You can visit her in person at the San Diego Zoo , too!
Purchase your own print of Janey's artwork today!

Music:

The Monkees, Gorillaz

Movies:

"Gorillas in the Mist"; PBS’s "In the Wild: Orangutans with Julia Roberts"; "Every Which Way But Loose"; "Planet of the Apes" (the original with Roddy McDowell); "Instinct"

Television:

"Lancelot Link: Secret Chimp"; National Geographic Channel

Books:

The Great Apes: Between Two Worlds by Michael Nichols; Reflections of Eden: My Years With the Orangutans of Borneo by Birute M. F. Galdikas; Curious George by Margaret and H.A. Rey; The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling; National Geographic Magazine

Heroes:

Birute Galdikas, Jane Goodall, George Schaller

My Blog

Janey’s friend Josephine

We regret to announce that 47-year-old Sumatran orangutan Josephine, who lived at the San Diego Zoo for 14 years, died January 17. Josephine was diagnosed with heart disease and had been under veterin...
Posted by Janey the Artiste on Fri, 18 Jan 2008 10:51:00 PST

San Diegans: Take A Walk on the Wild Side for Great Apes

TAKE A "WALK ON THE WILD SIDE" FOR GREAT APES AT THE sAN DIEGO ZOO   Pull out those walking shoes and get ready to mosey, amble, saunter or stroll through the San Diego Zoo on November 17 during...
Posted by Janey the Artiste on Tue, 09 Oct 2007 03:43:00 PST

Mark your calendars: Great Ape Awareness Week at the San Diego Zoo

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE OCTOBER 8, 2007 WEB SITE:         & nbsp;  www.sandiegozoo.org   Press Release GREAT APES FACE EXTINCTION; SAN DIEGO ZOO R...
Posted by Janey the Artiste on Tue, 09 Oct 2007 03:42:00 PST

Extinction Crisis Escalates: Red List shows Apes in Danger

Extinction Crisis Escalates: Red List Shows Apes, Corals, Vultures, Dolphins All In Danger --> --> Science Daily  Life on Earth is disappearing fast and will continue to do so unless urgent action is...
Posted by Janey the Artiste on Wed, 19 Sep 2007 09:58:00 PST

Orangutans squeezed by biofuel boom

From: Associated Press Published September 5, 2007 Indonesia: Orangutans squeezed by biofuel boom RELATED ARTICLES Indonesian Palm Oil Boom Threatens Orangutan, Environment Indonesia's Forests T...
Posted by Janey the Artiste on Tue, 11 Sep 2007 01:22:00 PST

JANEY'S ARTWORK ON SALE NOW!

JANEY'S LIMITED EDITION ARTWORK REPRODUCTIONS ARE ON SALE NOW AT SAN DIEGO ZOO AND WWW.SHOPZOO.COM -- WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!Janey's incredible artwork, which was previously only available to a privilege...
Posted by Janey the Artiste on Wed, 27 Jun 2007 02:19:00 PST

Orangutans threatened as loggers clear forests

Orangutans Threatened as Loggers Clear ForestsU.N. Report Says Disappearing Tropical Rain Forests in Indonesia Imperils Orangutans' SurvivalBy ARTHUR MAXThe Associated PressTHE HAGUE, Netherlands Indo...
Posted by Janey the Artiste on Sat, 16 Jun 2007 04:30:00 PST

NBC TODAY show goes to Borneo

NBC TODAY show anchor Ann Curry visited orangutan rehabilitation sites in Borneo. The news piece was featured this morning. Visit their website to read more about her experience and see photograp...
Posted by Janey the Artiste on Mon, 14 May 2007 10:10:00 PST

Janey featured in today's Washington Post!

Arty AnimalsOrangutans, Elephants and Sea Lions Are Brushing Up on Their Paintings Tuesday, May 8, 2007; C12 Katya Arnold and Alex Melamid live in New York City and teach painting. Some of their stud...
Posted by Janey the Artiste on Tue, 08 May 2007 02:30:00 PST

Palm Oil -- great website for insight!

The AZA accreditted Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has created a great educational resource web site with detailed information about palm oil -- guaranteed to answer all your questions. What is palm oil? Why i...
Posted by Janey the Artiste on Mon, 16 Apr 2007 12:16:00 PST