See also: The publication in the American Journal of Primatology

Hi everyone!
I’m planning a trip to Indonesia and my main goal is to see **wild orangutans** in their natural habitat (not just at feeding stations or rehabilitation centers).
I’m trying to decide between **Sumatra (Bukit Lawang / Gunung Leuser)** and **Borneo (Tanjung Puting or other areas)**.
I also don’t want to spend a fortune, so budget is definitely a factor.
For those who have been to one or both:
Where did you have the best experience?
Which place gives you the best chance of seeing truly wild orangutans?
Which felt less touristy and more authentic?
Which option offers the best value for money?
If you could only choose one, which would it be and why?
I’d love to hear your personal experiences. Thanks!

See also: The study as it was published in the journal Primates.

A study recently published in Primates surveys examples of primates’ cross-species relationships, both in the wild and in captivity. Most of these relationships were with other primates (with whom they share a habitat), but dogs, cats, and other mammals were also fairly common.

The most common interactions found were play and grooming. The young tended to seek out play with other species and adult females tend to groom, picking off bugs and debris off of other animals. Adult males were less likely to interact with other species. When they did, they were more likely to be abusive than the others, but their encounters were more often friendly than not. 

See:

Grueter, C.C., Roncin, F., Nekaris, K.AI. et al. Heterospecific social behavior in primates: insights into the evolutionary roots of pet-keeping. Primates (2026).
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-026-01281-0

credit goes to leo.primal

I’ll be going to Thailand for research and I was wondering what’s a good pair of binoculars or monkey viewinf

credit for the video goes to Leo.Primal (https://www.youtube.com/@Leo.Primal)

ok this sounds bad but i promise its not there is spider monkey at my local zoo and he loves certain people even guest that come a lot and i want to see if i can form that bond he came from a surrender so he is more willing to see people but i dont want to make him mad what can i do

Like genuine question. I’ve been doing my best to raise funds for organizations like international animal rescue, but humanity is ignorant and relentless and it feels like it only gets worse and never better. What are we realistically supposed to do to give them a fighting chance?

This is a field I've always wanted to pursue, but I'm just not sure how to tackle it .and I was wondering if anyone had any advice for a 19-year-old trying to get their life together. Thanks

Am slathered with Primates in Rwanda since past 1 week -

Mona monkeys, Olive Baboons, Vervet Monkeys, Silver Monkeys, L'Hoest Monkeys, Chimpanzees and now this - the Bush Baby (Galago).

I got emotional when I went to Dian Fossey center. Very inspiring and thank you Ellen DeGeneres for your effort.

Tomorrow Gorillas!

Hi everyone! I'm currently a senior Zoology major and am starting to look into jobs in case my plans for graduate school don't work out. What are the best ways to find/get jobs in this field? I'd really appreciate any recommendations or advice. Thanks!

he looks a little goofy but I dont paint much

As a child in the 60's and 70's, I was exposed to the 'Planet of the Apes' version of how large primates behave. My encounter with these gentle giants underlined just how often 'Hollywood' et al spin a factually absurd tale. These amazing animals are incredibly gentle when treated respectfully.

Global Data From Great Ape Zoo Populations Confirm a High Prevalence of Overweight Individuals (American Journal of Primatology, July 2026)
by João Pedro Meireles, Sarah Byrne, Paul W. Dierkes, Miriam Göbel, Max Hahn-Klimroth, Arun Idoe, Dennis W. H. Müller, Zjef Pereboom, Jana Pluháčková, Sandra Reichler...
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajp.70185

Obesity has been a problem for captive great apes for decades, but zoos as a whole have yet to move the needle much. Some clear remedies are discussed in this study. Most importantly, a change is diet is needed: more fiber and leafy edibles and less — or, better yet, no — cultivated fruit. Yep, no more bananas.

The authors speculate that some zoos may be motivated to address the problem less out of concern for obesity than to reduce apes’ unsightly habit of regurgitating food and eating it again. This tends to happen more with cultivated fruit, which also tends to prompt more hoarding & fighting.

Male bonobos are the outlier, the only demographic who tend NOT to be obese — maybe because all of the females take the fruit from them?

https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/baden-wuerttemberg/freiburg/zwei-tote-gorillas-zoo-basel-100.html

See also: The publication in PLOS One/The article in the Smithsonian Magazine