Orangutan Lends A Helping Hand To A Man In Snake-Infested Water

February 8, 2020

A photographer from Indonesia captured the heartwarming moment an orangutan lent a helping hand to a man clearing away snakes from a conservation area to protect the orangutans.

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A post shared by Reminiscence Photography (@anil_t_prabhakar) on Jan 22, 2020 at 8:31pm PST

Amateur photographer Anil Prabhakar had been out trekking with friends in Borneo when he spotted the touching encounter taking place.

He later found out the man worked for the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, a nonprofit aimed at protecting the species.

The worker, submerged up to his chest in a muddy river, had been clearing away snakes from the area to help keep the orangutans safe before his friend came over to offer assistance.

"I saw an orangutan come very close to him and just offer him his hand," Prabhakar said.

Prabhakar said it was difficult for the worker to move in the muddy water. "It seemed as if the orangutan was saying 'May I help you?' to the man," he said.

Prabhakar revealed the worker actually ended up refusing the orangutan's hand.

When asked why, "He said, 'they're completely wild, we don't know how they'll react'."

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