Unusual Orang Utan rescue caught on camera

Unusual rescue of an Orang Utan caught in a flood. Credit © WWF Malaysia/Engelbert Dausip.

March 2009. WWF workers in the Malaysian part of Sabah witnessed a very unusual rescue when they rescued a female Orang Utan and her young from drowning. The two apes had been caught out when their tree, situated by a river, was cut off by a flood, and they were stuck for nearly a whole week. Villagers alerted the WWF workers, who immediately went to help.

Lacking any better ideas or equipment, they threw a rope to the female. Much to everyone's surprise, the mother Orang Utan seized the rope and jumped into the floods. Normally Orang Utans are considered very water shy. However both moth and baby, with the aid of the rope, reached the bank with little drama. Themother carried her keeping its head above water.

Before they both disappeared into the jungle, they accepted still bananas and other fruits from the WWF workers.

Heavy flooding
Sabah has been afflicted in the past weeks by heavy flooding. It is thought that climate change is causing weather extremes resulting in heavy rainfalls, and the serious reduction in forest cover has affected the ability of the habitat to absorb heavy rainfall.

Photo credit © WWF Malaysia/Engelbert Dausip.

Photo credit © WWF Malaysia/Engelbert Dausip.