New animal in zoo ? man!

An Australian zoo has put a group of humans on display to raise awareness about primate conservation.

An Australian zoo has put a group of humans on display to raise awareness about primate conservation – with the proviso that they don't get up to any monkey business.

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Over a month, the humans will be locked in an unused orangutan cage at Adelaide zoo, braving the searing heat and snacking on bananas. They will be monitored by a psychologist who hopes to use the findings to improve conditions for real apes in captivity.

Audiences can vote for their favourite ‘ape’ via mobile phone text messages, in the style of reality television shows, and at the end of the month, a ‘super human’ will be selected to represent the zoo.

"They're mad," said one visitor to the exhibit, as the humans, who are allowed home at night, played up to the crowds and checked each other for imaginary lice.

"It's not as exciting as the animals actually, they're not really doing very much," another onlooker said, clearly unimpressed by the volunteers' shenanigans.