Anil Prabhakar went into the bush hoping to see a wild orangutan, but instead he ended up photographing a really lovely gesture of charity.
Prabhakar, an Indonesian wildlife photographer and reporter, has long believed in photography’s ability to inspire both emotion and social change. “Every shot, in my opinion, can speak for itself,” Prabhakar told The Dodo. “I’m more interested in portraying a feeling that I can relate to.”
Prabhakar started active with the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation after learning about the situation of orangutans owing to deforestation. He went to the foundation in 2019 to learn more about their projects, and they offered to show him around their protected territory.
“This group saves orangutans from habitat destruction, poachers, and captivity,” Prabhakar explained. “They’ll save them and assist them in returning to the wild.” They treat them if they are hurt and assist them in dealing with the trauma they have experienced. Then they relocate them to a temporary forest where they may become used to living in the wild before releasing them back into the main forest.”
Prabhakar witnessed a crew member enter a tiny river while traveling through the bush. When he inquired as to why the guy was approaching the orangutan’s habitat, the guards informed him that a snake had been sighted nearby.
“They have to take care of poisonous snakes since they are deadly to orangutans,” Prabhakar said. “So, this guy started clearing these bushes all down the river, and it seemed as if he was going at a snail’s pace because his legs were caught in the muck.”
Prabhakar noticed that the man was struggling to lift his legs — but he wasn’t the only one concerned. A female orangutan who sat close by was also watching the drama unfold.
“Suddenly, this orangutan came closer to the river banks, sat there and watched what this fellow was doing,” Prabhakar said. “When this fellow struggled to pull out his legs, the orangutan put her left hand on the bank of the river and extended her other hand towards him. It was a lovely gesture.”
The orangutan volunteered to assist pull the man out of the muck for three minutes, but the man disregarded the extended hand and walked away. Prabhakar was taken aback.
“This was absolutely new to me,” Prabhakar said. “Never in a million years did I expect to witness anything like that.” This orangutan, in my opinion, was attempting to assist him. It’s human nature to go to someone in need and provide a helping hand.”
When the crew member returned to shore, Prabhakar inquired as to why he had refused the orangutan’s offer of help. The man said that he was just there as a “lifeguard” and that he was not allowed to interact with the wild animals. He went on to say that orangutans’ hands and arms are so strong that he might have been wounded, or worse, the orangutan may have lost her balance and fell into the river.
Prabhakar kept the striking photographs he shot that day for a year before sharing them. Prabhakar was greatly moved by the orangutan’s attempt to aid a human, despite the fact that people had destroyed her native environment.
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