Photographs Emerge Of An Orangutan Trying To Help A Man Out Of Snake-Infested Waters In Borneo

Anil Prabhakar was simply enjoying a safari in Indonesia when he came across this sight of an orangutan displaying humanity and compassion to a fellow human. The human in question was a forest warden who was clearing out the nearby water deposit for snakes. And as far as the relationship between snakes and orangutans go, the less said the better.

Image credits: Anil Prabhakar

Image credits: Anil Prabhakar

Image credits: Anil Prabhakar

After the warden cleared out the water source, Anil Prabhakar captured this inspiring image of an orangutan reaching out with his hand towards the warden to help him out. While the man didn’t take the offered hand, the internet went crazy over it. It was a real sign that animals too are capable of displaying compassion.

Image credits: bornean_OU

Prabhakar mentions how there was a news outbreak that the water source nearby was filled with snakes. So a warden in charge of maintaining the water pool went in and started clearing things out. This is when Anil took a picture of the orangutan helping the man out.

Image credits: bornean_OU

Although the warden didn’t hold onto the orangutan’s hand, there is a very interesting reason for that. When asked, the warden replied that the orangutan was an animal of the wild and hence extremely unpredictable. No one knew what the orangutan was thinking, and what he would do once the warden latched onto him. In the end, the warden simply said that they were there to protect the animals, not the other way round.

Image credits: bornean_OU

The warden who was a part of this entire event was a member of the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation. Their main job was to ensure that the orangutans survived in the face of massive deforestation.

This foundation was formed in 1991 and currently is the caretaker for close to 650 orangutans. The organization mentions that it is not just important to take care of animals, but also the habitat as a whole. While it is definitely important that the animals and the fauna be saved, an ecological crisis can only be averted if the ecosystem and habitat can be saved at the same time.

The rainforests of Borneo have been home to many poisonous snakes for quite some time. And these snakes are the mortal enemies of orangutans. Goes without saying, that one of the important jobs of this foundation is ensuring that there aren’t snakes in the vicinity of the orangutans. They also teach orangutans about the horrors that lie deeper into the forests.

Anil Prabhakar was simply enjoying a safari in Indonesia when he came across this sight of an orangutan displaying humanity and compassion to a fellow human. The human in question was a forest warden who was clearing out the nearby water deposit for snakes. And as far as the relationship between snakes and orangutans go,…