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Secret Lives of Orangutans

Secret Lives of Orangutans is now streaming on Netflix!

This beautifully filmed and expertly produced documentary is suitable for all ages… and you will LOVE it! Narrated by the fabulous David Attenborough, viewers get an in-depth look into the lives of orangutans living in the Suaq Forest in Sumatra. This special group of orangutans is carefully watched by researchers from Suaq Balimbing, a Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP) biodiversity monitoring station. Secret Lives of Orangutans provides a look at how life could be for all orangutans when they are left alone in a protected area. They can be social, have lots of babies, and grow old gracefully.

SOCP’s biodiversity monitoring station, Suaq Balimbing, is located in the Kluet swamps in the province of Aceh, Indonesia. It is the only site in Sumatra where biologists are monitoring orangutans in a peat swamp forest setting. It is famous as the first ever research site to find orangutans regularly and routinely making and using tools in the wild. This is due to the extremely high densities and unusably sociable orangutans found there.

Suaq has long been the site of a major ongoing research program studying the orangutans and these unique peat swamp forests, with many new discoveries having resulted from this work. Researchers recently observed Rakus, an adult flanged male, healing his own wound using plant leaves known to have pain-relieving and healing properties. You will see Rakus in the documentary and you can read the story here.

Long term monitoring and studies of habitat are integral to understanding orangutan behavioral ecology and conservation needs.

Learn more about SOCP’s Research Stations.

Orangutans in Sumatra Need Your Help!

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You can directly support SOCP by adopting Brenda, Janet or Krismon for just USD $20/month (or USD $200/year). Learn more about them on our adoption page.