Orangutan reaches out to help a man in Borneo

Need a hand? Orangutan reaches out to help a man as he protects the ape from snakes in Borneo

• The orangutan tried to assist the man stood in a river by offering him a hand 
• Animal, who lives in a conservation forest area in Borneo, leans forward to help
• Man worked for Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation and was clearing snakes

This is the heartwarming moment an orangutan tries to assist a man stood in a river by offering its outstretched arm. 

The great ape, who lives in a protected conservation forest area in Borneo, was seen leaning forward and lending a helping hand to the man who had been in the muddy river searching for snakes.

The striking images were taken by amateur photographer Anil Prabhakar, from Indonesia, who had been on a safari with his friends when he spotted the touching scene.

Mr Prabhakar later found that the man worked for the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation- a non-profit organisation aimed at protected the endangered species.

The orangutan, who lives in a conservation forest area in Borneo, offers an outstretched arm to a man stood in the river

The man, who  worked for the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, had been in the river to clear away any snakes

The worker had been clearing away snakes in an effort to guard the orangutans when he was interrupted by the inquisitive ape.

However the amateur photographer revealed the man refused the orangutan’s hand after he put away the camera – as it was a wild animal.

Mr Prabhakar said: ‘Someone told him there was a snake in the river. The warden went there and cleared the bushes.

‘An orangutan came to the banks and was watching what he was doing. He then came closer and gave his hand.

‘The warden just moved away. I asked him why later and he said: ”It’s a wild animal, not one we are familiar with”.

The worker, who had been clearing away snakes, watched as the great ape offered him a helping hand

The endangered animal, who lives in a protected conservation forest, spotted the man and decided to help

‘But they are to protect them.’

The Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation is an Indonesian non-profit organisation founded in 1991. 

The foundation, which has 400 members of staff, is currently taking care of almost 650 orangutans.  

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT SPECIES OF ORANGUTANS?

Until recently, scientists thought there were only two genetically distinct types of orangutan, Bornean and Sumatran.

But in 1997 biological anthropologist Erik Meijaard observed an isolated population of the great apes in Batang Toru, south of the known habitat for Sumatran orangutans.

Scientists began to investigate if it was a unique species.

Researchers studied the DNA, skulls and teeth of 33 orangutans killed in human-animal conflict.

They then concluded that they had discovered a new species, giving it the scientific name Pongo tapanuliensis or Tapanuli orangutan.

The newly discovered species numbers about 800 individuals and is critically endangered.

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