How do orangutans move?

Ever wonder how an orangutan’s movements compare to those of other great apes? In this video you can see the differences as movement coach Terry Notary demonstrates how gorillas, chimps, and orangutans move in the film Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.  

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Palm oil and the connection with orangutans

While orangutans face numerous threats, including the pet trade and illegal logging, most scientists agree that palm oil developed at the expense of orangutan habitat is the single greatest threat to the survival of the species. In the last 20 years, the orangutans’ habitat has shrunk by 80 percent and their populations have dropped precipitously,…

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Orangutans rescued near industrial timber estates in Indonesia

Three orangutans trapped in an unforested area between industrial timber estates in Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan, were rescued by specially-trained teams from the companies (Sumalindo Hutani Raya and Surya Hutani Jaya) which operate industrial timber estates there. The company planned to release the female orangutan, her baby, and a teenager back into the wild at…

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Shop so Orangutans don’t Drop

From JeffCorwinConnect.com Laurel NemeJuly 14, 2011   Next time you shop, consider orangutans. While U.S. grocery stores may be physically far from the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia, where these endangered primates live, the impact of supermarkets on orangutan survival is not so distant. About one in every ten products on your grocery store shelves…

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First Rehabilitated Orangutan Releases Coming in May

  To follow on to some of my recent stories on orangutans and the Nyaru Menteng rehabilitation center — good news! After a decade of teaching orphaned orangutans how to be wild, the center just received official permission so that they can now proceed with their release back into the wild. A big victory for…

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Mongabay.com: Teaching orangutans to be wild – orangutan rehabilitation

By Laurel Neme, special to mongabay.com December 15, 2010     This interview aired in on April 4, 2010 and November 22, 2010). It was transcribed by Ben Kennedy. Part 2 of 2. Part 1: The problem-solving ape: what makes orangutans special and why they are threatened   Michelle Desilets, Executive Director of the Orangutan Land Trust, spoke…

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Fun Facts from the Jungle: Orangutans

  Did you know orangutans don’t like the rain? They don’t complain but instead show that necessity is the mother of all invention and fashion roofs and umbrellas out of leaves. My interview with Michelle Desilets, Executive Director of the Orangutan Land Trust, on “The WildLife” radio show divulges the interesting biology and habits of orangutans. Bet…

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The WildLife: Orangutans & Conservation Approaches Part II, Michelle Desilets

    Michelle Desilets, Executive Director of the Orangutan Land Trust, discusses the rehabilitation of rescued orangutans and new approaches to help save this species in the second of a two-part interview. She tells “The WildLife” host Laurel Neme how a rescued orangutan learns to be wild with mesmerizing stories of the “school” at Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Reintroduction…

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The WildLife: Orangutans Part I, Michelle Desilets & Shawn Thompson

  Michelle Desilets, Executive Director of the Orangutan Land Trust, divulges the interesting biology and habits of orangutans in the first of a two-part interview. She gives “The WildLife” host Laurel Neme an insider’s look at what makes these red apes fascinating, endearing, infuriating and worthy of protection. For instance, did you know orangutans don’t like the rain?…

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