# Magician amazes orangutan with card trick.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magician-amazes-orangutan-with-card-trick/768390>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [October 13, 2016, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magician-amazes-orangutan-with-card-trick/768390 "2016-10-13T04:53:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2016, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magician-amazes-orangutan-with-card-trick/768390/1 "2016-10-13T04:53:57Z")

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Cool trick. Any theories on how he did it?

> **[Captivated orangutan tries to copy magician's trick](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3834519/Captivated-orangutan-tries-copy-magician-s-trick-transports-card-enclosure-glass.html)**
>
> Curious orangutan Rajang (pictured left) is captivated by magician Matt G (pictured right) when he performs a seemingly impossible magic trick outside his enclosure at Colchester Zoo in Essex.

Usually you’d assume the volunteer is a plant and in on the trick. I don’t think the orangutan can be accused of that. 😃

I’ve watched the video several times and am stumped. How did that card get on the other side of the glass?

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**Author:** ![Mavic\_Chen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mavic\_Chen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mavic_Chen)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2016, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magician-amazes-orangutan-with-card-trick/768390/2 "2016-10-13T15:25:01Z")

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Has to be a camera trick doesn’t it? The camera freezes at about 31sec which could hide an edit. He puts the card on the glass at an angle but it’s perfectly straight and aligned with the window frames afterwards? Or maybe all the reflections on the glass hid a mirrored sticker that he just peeled off to reveal the already placed card.

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**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2016, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magician-amazes-orangutan-with-card-trick/768390/3 "2016-10-13T16:58:08Z")

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The orangutan was clearly a plant.

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**Author:** ![Disheavel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Disheavel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disheavel)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2016, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magician-amazes-orangutan-with-card-trick/768390/4 "2016-10-13T17:01:39Z")

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There is something odd about the physics of the card on the orangutan side. It seems to float as he pulls it away from the window initially- perhaps fishing line? The other thing that I think might be illuminating is the tapping of the stick on the card as if he is trying to reapply it- could this be imitating something he watched.

Those both being said, I like Mavic Chen’s suggestion of a mirror and reflection hiding an already placed card.

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**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2016, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magician-amazes-orangutan-with-card-trick/768390/5 "2016-10-13T22:08:36Z")

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I like the peel off mirror theory too. The hard part would be getting the card into the orangutan’s enclosure. They can be dangerous animals. Fishing line seems like a plausible solution.

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**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2016, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magician-amazes-orangutan-with-card-trick/768390/6 "2016-10-13T22:32:26Z")

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I’d put video editing at the top of the list.

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**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2016, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magician-amazes-orangutan-with-card-trick/768390/7 "2016-10-13T23:01:44Z")

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> [@muldoonthief](#):
>
> The orangutan was clearly a plant.

> [@aceplace57](#):
>
> They can be dangerous animals.

I’m so confused. Next you’ll say they’re minerals.