Orangutan with Bananas
Sepilok, Orangutan
At Sepilok, most of the orangutans are orphaned, injured, or being returned to their natural environment after being 'owned' by someone. They are taught to get their own food and survive in the wild. Many are not able to do that on their own, so they are fed very bland food like milk fortified with vitamins, and bananas - the same thing every day, so they are encouraged to go out and find their own food. Like people, they are very jealous of others, and whatever another orangutan has, they want. We can gain a lot of insight into our own behavior by watching them.
©Bill Yeaton