Anil Prabhakar to the bush in search of a wild orangutan, but he instead managed to photograph a shockingly lovely gesture of charity.
Indonesian naturalist and photojournalist Prabhakar has always believed in the ability of photography to evoke both emotion and social change. According to Prabhakar’s philosophy, each image may speak for itself, The Dodo said. “I’m more interested in attempting to convey a sentiment I can relate to.”
After learning of the plight of orangutans due to deforestation, Prabhakar became involved with the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation. In 2019, he visited the foundation, hoping to learn more about their programs, and they offered to give him a tour of their protected land.
“This organization rescues orangutans from habitat loss, poachers and those being kept in captivity,” Prabhakar said. “They will rescue them and help them get back to the wild. They treat them if they are injured and help with the trauma they’ve faced. Then they move them to a temporary forest, where they can get used to being wild, and release them to the main forest.”
Prabhakar observed a crew member entering a little river while they were through the woods. When the guards were questioned about the man’s approach to the orangutan’s habitat, they said that a snake had been seen nearby.
They must take care of those things since poisonous snakes are harmful to orangutans, according to Prabhakar. As a result, the man began clearing the bushes beside the river, but because his legs kept getting bogged down in the mud, it appeared as though he was going slowly.
The man was having trouble lifting his legs, and Prabhakar wasn’t the only one who was alarmed by this. The nearby female orangutan was also observing the scene as it played out.
As it drew nearer to the river’s banks, the orangutan sat down and observed what the other person was doing, according to Prabhakar. The orangutan placed her left hand on the edge of the river and held out her other hand to the man as he attempted to take out his legs. It was a thoughtful gesture.
The orangutan volunteered to lift the man out of the muck for three minutes, but the man ignored him and wandered away. The startled Prabhakar was.
Prabhakar said, “This was all new to me. “I didn’t anticipate seeing anything like that. This orangutan, in my opinion, was attempting to assist him. Human nature dictates that if someone is in need, you should go and help them.
Prabhakar questioned the crew member’s decision not to accept the orangutan’s offer of assistance when he got back to land. He clarified that he was merely acting as a “lifeguard” and was not allowed to interact with the wild animals. He continued by saying that the orangutan may have harmed him or, worst still, lost her balance and fell into the river due to her strong hands and arms.
Before deciding to share the stirring images he captured that day, Prabhakar kept them for a year. Prabhakar was extremely moved by the irony of the orangutan wanting to assist a human despite all people had done to damage her natural home.
Prabhakar believes there’s an important lesson to be learned from such a moment, and was grateful he was there to capture it and share it with the world.
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