Photographer Captures An Orangutan Reaching Out To Help A Forest Warden In Borneo
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Recently, amateur photographer Anil Prabhakar captured a fascinating sight in a conservation forest area in Borneo. While on a safari with his friends, the photographer stumbled upon a forest warden who was clearing snakes, the sworn enemy of orangutans, from the river. Just as Prabhakar prepared to take a picture, an orangutan reached out his hand to the man, apparently wanting to help him out. The wholesome photos quickly went viral, leaving people in awe of the orangutan’s act of kindness.
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Recently, a photographer went viral for his touching photos showing an orangutan lending a helping hand to a man in a river
Image credits: Anil Prabhakar
“Someone told him there was a snake in the river. The warden went there and cleared the bushes. An orangutan came to the banks and was watching what he was doing. He then came closer and gave his hand,” Prabhakar recalled.
Image credits: Anil Prabhakar
The photographer said that the forest warden refused to take the orangutan’s hand, saying that he didn’t want to touch an unfamiliar wild animal. “The warden just moved away. I asked him why later and he said: ‘It’s a wild animal, not one we are familiar with’. But they are to protect them.”
Image credits: Anil Prabhakar
The forest warden who took part in the wholesome encounter works for a non-profit organization called Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation. His and 400 other employees’ job is to protect the orangutans’ habitat, which is threated by rapid deforestation.
Image credits: bornean_OU
The foundation, which was founded in 1991, is currently taking care of 650 orangutans. “By protecting orangutans in their natural habitat, a whole plethora of other flora and fauna are also protected. Protecting their forest habitat is as important to humans as much as it is to wildlife,” the foundation’s website states.
Image credits: bornean_OU
There are 160 snake species inhabiting the tropical rainforests of Borneo and many of them pose a serious threat to orangutans. To protect these animals, the organization’s workers try to clear rivers of snakes and also teach orangutans to be wary of the danger that lies within the forest.
Image credits: bornean_OU
With the help of rubber snakes, the employees help orphaned orangutans learn to be aware of snakes. Watch the adorable video of the teaching process below.
Here’s how people reacted
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Orangutans are morphologically closer to humans than any other animal. Their habitat is being destroyed by Palm oil plantations. Please, please, please do not buy products that contain palm oil including: Skippy Peanut Butter - Ice cream: Wall’s Soft Scoop - Cadbury’s Dairy Milk, - Flora Buttery Spread - - Twiglets - Ritz Crackers - -= Maryland Chocolate Chip Cookies - Oreos - Sainsbury’s Garlic Bread Slices - Batchelors Super Noodles - Tesco’s own - Head & Shoulders - Dove Original - Max Factor Colour Elixir This species especially deserves to be protected.
I'm reducing my consumption of palm oil. The local health food store has a machine to grind peanuts -- their fresh crunchy peanut butter is pretty tasty. Which is good, because the commercial brands with the palm oil are better for filling cracks than for eating.
It’s easier to list products that DON’T contain palm oil. That’s how prevalent its usage is. It’s especially maddening as a vegan environmentalist, since it seems even more common in vegan foods where the palm oil is a substitute for animal fats. Corporations are willing to to take advantage of the opportunity to sell more products to vegans now, but they’re missing the larger picture with mindless materials usage.
When you decide to take the crazy train, you're just going to have to deal with getting triggered by everything your whole life.
Alas, greater consumption is a primary goal of industries. Planned obsolesce is a standard industry practice.
Twiglets look good! I am going to order some right now! Thanks! I had never heard of them before.
It is mostly because of Animal Agriculture. Eating animal corpses and their byproducts like milk and eggs. Cannot forget that these animals eat WAAY more food than humans so that requires more land hence why Deforestation. Palm Oil is bad but it is not the root cause.
Orangutans do not clear cut or burn down Jungle. Nice try though. You also going to say the Australian fires are not caused by global warming?
Keith Tollefson's comment is factual and utterly correct. Stop down-voting it !! Your down-votes will not change the truth and the facts. 80% of all crops planted goes to feed farm animals, that is the reason for world hunger. Also, excessive consumption of meat, dairy, and eggs is causing prolonged ecological harm. Animal agriculture is a major contributor to our planet's most significant environmental threats, much greater than industrial and car pollution. Human being is a virus which plagues our planet, not the species that shall protect all life. Give thanks to vegans, and at least reduce significantly consumption of meat and all other animal products. Thank you for your dutifulness and compassion.
You made ten omnivores cry simply by sharing a fact.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Also any product that has milk, eggs or meat in it.
Orangutans are absolutely amazing, talk about personality and those eyes are truly the window of their marvelous souls.
Which is why we must fight to save their habitat.
I'm bummed for the poor Orangutan who was just trying to help. I understand why the guy was afraid, but still.
Agreed. I get wanting to keep a separation in general terms but this was perhaps taking it a bit far. Maybe there's something about not creating any sort of a bond with a creature you're studying because it can influence things?
Don't be too hard on this guy. He is doing a very worthwhile job and, for all their "cuteness "Orang Utans are very powerful wild animals and could easily tear a man to pieces. I am sure he spoke to it and that is all the interaction which should happen.
Other primates deserve to evolve like us too. We can speed things along by helping them.
This comment has been deleted.
I wonder if they are asked to not physically interact with them? Maybe to keep them healthier?
Orangutans are morphologically closer to humans than any other animal. Their habitat is being destroyed by Palm oil plantations. Please, please, please do not buy products that contain palm oil including: Skippy Peanut Butter - Ice cream: Wall’s Soft Scoop - Cadbury’s Dairy Milk, - Flora Buttery Spread - - Twiglets - Ritz Crackers - -= Maryland Chocolate Chip Cookies - Oreos - Sainsbury’s Garlic Bread Slices - Batchelors Super Noodles - Tesco’s own - Head & Shoulders - Dove Original - Max Factor Colour Elixir This species especially deserves to be protected.
I'm reducing my consumption of palm oil. The local health food store has a machine to grind peanuts -- their fresh crunchy peanut butter is pretty tasty. Which is good, because the commercial brands with the palm oil are better for filling cracks than for eating.
It’s easier to list products that DON’T contain palm oil. That’s how prevalent its usage is. It’s especially maddening as a vegan environmentalist, since it seems even more common in vegan foods where the palm oil is a substitute for animal fats. Corporations are willing to to take advantage of the opportunity to sell more products to vegans now, but they’re missing the larger picture with mindless materials usage.
When you decide to take the crazy train, you're just going to have to deal with getting triggered by everything your whole life.
Alas, greater consumption is a primary goal of industries. Planned obsolesce is a standard industry practice.
Twiglets look good! I am going to order some right now! Thanks! I had never heard of them before.
It is mostly because of Animal Agriculture. Eating animal corpses and their byproducts like milk and eggs. Cannot forget that these animals eat WAAY more food than humans so that requires more land hence why Deforestation. Palm Oil is bad but it is not the root cause.
Orangutans do not clear cut or burn down Jungle. Nice try though. You also going to say the Australian fires are not caused by global warming?
Keith Tollefson's comment is factual and utterly correct. Stop down-voting it !! Your down-votes will not change the truth and the facts. 80% of all crops planted goes to feed farm animals, that is the reason for world hunger. Also, excessive consumption of meat, dairy, and eggs is causing prolonged ecological harm. Animal agriculture is a major contributor to our planet's most significant environmental threats, much greater than industrial and car pollution. Human being is a virus which plagues our planet, not the species that shall protect all life. Give thanks to vegans, and at least reduce significantly consumption of meat and all other animal products. Thank you for your dutifulness and compassion.
You made ten omnivores cry simply by sharing a fact.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Also any product that has milk, eggs or meat in it.
Orangutans are absolutely amazing, talk about personality and those eyes are truly the window of their marvelous souls.
Which is why we must fight to save their habitat.
I'm bummed for the poor Orangutan who was just trying to help. I understand why the guy was afraid, but still.
Agreed. I get wanting to keep a separation in general terms but this was perhaps taking it a bit far. Maybe there's something about not creating any sort of a bond with a creature you're studying because it can influence things?
Don't be too hard on this guy. He is doing a very worthwhile job and, for all their "cuteness "Orang Utans are very powerful wild animals and could easily tear a man to pieces. I am sure he spoke to it and that is all the interaction which should happen.
Other primates deserve to evolve like us too. We can speed things along by helping them.
This comment has been deleted.
I wonder if they are asked to not physically interact with them? Maybe to keep them healthier?