Adolescence for a young male orangutan is very different from that of the other #greatapes - humans included. Once they have the confidence to leave their Mum, instead of spending time hanging out with friends, #orangutans spend most of their time alone. They are still playful though, and this young male #BorneanOrangutan of the Northeastern sub-species Pongo pygmeus morio, known to researchers as Malatus, swings around apparently just for fun once he's had his fill of the little green Rangas fruits he is eating.
Filming any ape in the treetops from the ground is always a challenge - trying to find a gap in the foliage, getting a crick in your neck - but with orangutans if you are lucky you get them back-lit by the sun, creating a glorious furry orange halo. Hopefully this will #BrightenYourDay nicely, and is my 77th video to do just that in #lockdown.
This population of orangutans along the Kinabatangan River​ in East #Malaysia, is protected by the Sabah Wildlife Department​ and local communities who benefit from carefully managed ecotourism (currently suspended because of the #Covid19 #pandemic), and is the subject of research and conservation work by the French NGO HUTAN-Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Project​ - more info here https://www.facebook.com/Kinabatangan
The species is classed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/17975/123809220
For a list of organisations helping orangutans, see https://4apes.com/species/orangutan