• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Tim Laman

| Wildlife Photojournalist

  • Home
  • Projects
    • Birds of Paradise
    • Orangutans in the Wild
    • Raja Ampat Reefs
  • Portfolios
    • National Geographic Articles
    • Birds of Paradise
    • Orangutans
    • Hornbills
    • Raja Ampat Reefs
    • Hummingbirds
    • Antarctica
    • Africa
    • Classics
  • Motion
  • Store
    • Fine Art Prints
    • Books
    • Calendars
    • Cards
  • Stock Archive
  • Wildlife Diaries
  • About
    • Tim Laman – Bio
    • Instagram
    • Contact
    • Events
    • Gear Partners
    • Conservation Partners
      • تيم برس
  • Interactive Video Experience

Orangutans in the Wild

“With my orangutan photography and filming my goal is to reveal the true richness of wild orangutans’ lives, and inspire the protection of enough remaining habitat so that they can persist with their cultural knowledge intact.”

— Tim Laman

Why Orangutans?

I have been photographing and filming orangutans in Gunung Palung National Park in Borneo since my wife and collaborator Cheryl Knott began her research there in 1994.  As one of the great apes, our closest relatives, orangutans are endlessly fascinating to observe.  Because they are largely solitary and hard to study, however, they are also much less well understood than Chimpanzees and Gorillas.  By partnering with Cheryl and her research team, I have had the extraordinary opportunity to follow and photograph these apes in the wild, and document them as few others have.  You can learn more about Cheryl’s research and conservation work at www.SaveWildOrangutans.org. We have started a new team initiative to help spread awareness and raise funds for conservation. Join The Team today!

Telling the Story of Wild Orangutans:

My story about Cheryl’s research in the August 1998 National Geographic was the first orangutan coverage for the magazine shot entirely in the wild.  In Dec 2016, another major story in National Geographic focused on the rich variety of orangutan culture across the different populations and species of orangutans, and how it is so important to protect this heritage in the wild. 

Person of the Forest Film:

In 2017, with co-director Melissa Lesh, and a team of photographer colleagues, I produced a short film to spread the idea that orangutans, like humans, have unique cultural knowledge that they pass on to their offspring and to other orangutans in their area.  This film has toured to over thirty film festivals around the world and garnered numerous awards.

Watch the full 16 Minute film here

The Crisis:

Orangutans have seen unprecedented habitat loss in the last fifty years.  We have seen it ourselves, as the forest around Gunung Palung are replaced by oil palm, mining, and expanding humanity.  By covering both the story of wild orangutans, and they issues they face, I hope to raise awareness of their plight and what we stand to loose.  My coverage of this crisis has garnered multiple awards, including World Press Photo, and the Wildlife Photojournalist award from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. 

  • Adult female Walimah with one month old infant. Feeding on Fordia flowers. Baby pulling at mom’s face. Bornean Orangutan Wurmbii Sub-species (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) Gunung Palung Orangutan Project Cabang Panti Research Station Gunung Palung National Park West Kalimantan Province Island of Borneo Indonesia
  • Freshly cleared forest patch in buffer zone of Gunung Palung National Park has been burned for agriculture.
  • “Rescue” of a five month old male baby orangutan from captivity in Sungai Besar village by the BKSDA (Department of Wildlife and Nature Conservation) staff and wildlife veteranarian Dr. Ayu from International Animal Rescue.
  • An endangered young male Bornean Orangutan climbs over 30 meters up a tree deep in the rain forest of Gunung Palung National Park, West Kalimantan, Indonesia (Island of Borneo).
  • Keepers at IAR transport juvenile orangutans by wheelbarrow to a patch of forest where they will learn skills for the wild International Animal Rescue (IAR) Ketapang West Kalimantan Province Island of Borneo Indonesia
  • An adult female orangutan with a juvenile have come to the edge of the Mangkutup River because all the forest behind them has burned. They survey the scene. Only a few green trees remain in a strip along the river. Many trees, including the small one they are climbing on, have been killed by the fire and are leaning over. Bornean Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) Central Kalimantan Province, Indonesia Island of Borneo

What Can We Do?

There are multiple orangutan conservation groups doing good work, but I would encourage you to support those that are working to conserve habitat and protect orangutans in the wild.  That is the long-term solution that is most important.  I work closely with the Gunung Palung Orangutan Conservation Program, who are working hard to safeguard the greater Gunung Palung landscape as a secure long term orangutan refuge.  Please check out their new initiative and consider giving them your support on a monthly basis.


Gunung Palung Orangutans Feature in new BBC Film:

The latest BBC landmark series SEVEN WORLDS – ONE PLANET, features an orangutan sequence that Tim helped film in Gunung Palung.  This unique sequence shows orangutans as they have rarely ever been seen, living in the pristine giant lowland forest of Gunung Palung. 

Portfolio – Orangutans in the Wild:

  • Adult female Walimah with one month old infant. Scratching head and looking down at baby. Bornean Orangutan Wurmbii Sub-species (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) Gunung Palung Orangutan Project Cabang Panti Research Station Gunung Palung National Park West Kalimantan Province Island of Borneo Indonesia
  • Adult female Bornean Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) resting on a large vine in the wild in Gunung Palung National Park, Borneo.
  • Adult female Walimah with one month old infant. In heavy rain, taking shelter with a “cape” of leafy branches heald over head and back. But note branches still attached to tree. Distinct from typical “leaf umbrella” where branches are broken off. Bornean Orangutan Wurmbii Sub-species (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) Gunung Palung Orangutan Project Cabang Panti Research Station Gunung Palung National Park West Kalimantan Province Island of Borneo Indonesia
  • Adult female Walimah with one month old infant. Feeding on Fordia flowers. Baby pulling at mom’s face. Bornean Orangutan Wurmbii Sub-species (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) Gunung Palung Orangutan Project Cabang Panti Research Station Gunung Palung National Park West Kalimantan Province Island of Borneo Indonesia
  • Adult female Walimah with one month old infant. Feeding on termites in dead wood pieces, with baby looking on closely and reaching out to investigate what mom is doing. Bornean Orangutan Wurmbii Sub-species (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) Gunung Palung Orangutan Project Cabang Panti Research Station Gunung Palung National Park West Kalimantan Province Island of Borneo Indonesia
  • An endangered young male Bornean Orangutan climbs over 30 meters up a tree deep in the rain forest of Gunung Palung National Park, West Kalimantan, Indonesia (Island of Borneo).
  • Bornean Orangutan – “wurmbii” subspecies (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) Cabang Panti Research Station Gunung Palung National Park West Kalimantan, Indonesia Borneo Island Female = Beth Infant = Benny
  • Bornean Orangutan – “wurmbii” subspecies (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) Adult male “Codet” Cabang Panti Research Station Gunung Palung National Park West Kalimantan, Indonesia Borneo Island
  • Tapanuli Orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis). Unidentified unflanged adult male making threatening display towards, Togus, the resident adult flanged male Batang Toru Forest Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Project North Sumatran Province Indonesia
  • The hand of Niko, a adult flanged male Bornean Orangutan Wurmbii Sub-species (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) Tuanan Field Site Tuanan Orangutan Research Project Mawas Conservation Area Central Kalimantan Province Island of Borneo Indonesia
  • A one year old Bornean Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) hangs out with its mother (Beth).
  • Juni, a adult female, and her 11 month old daughter, Jane. Juni is eating fruit of Ardisea sp. and Jane is watching/learning and eating some herself Bornean Orangutan Wurmbii Sub-species (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) Tuanan Field Site Tuanan Orangutan Research Project Mawas Conservation Area Central Kalimantan Province Island of Borneo Indonesia
  • Codet, adult flanged male, performing a kiss-squeak, a threat vocalization Bornean Orangutan Wurmbii Sub-species (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) Gunung Palung Orangutan Project Cabang Panti Research Station Gunung Palung National Park West Kalimantan Province Island of Borneo Indonesia
  • An adult male Bornean Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) named Jari Manis sits in the sleeping nest he has made in a small tree.

Footer

Latest from Instagram:

Photo by @TimLaman. A preening Emperor Penguin. Photo by @TimLaman.  A preening Emperor Penguin.  Emperor Penguins were one of the highlights of my recent Antarctica voyage!  Join my newsletter (coming soon) at my link in bio for more photos and stories from my adventures. 
#emperorpenguin #penguin #antarctica #birds #birdphotography

Welcome

Welcome to TimLaman.com. I’m a photographer, filmmaker, and field biologist with a passion for exploring our natural world. I hope you enjoy this website, and you can also sign up for my newsletter “Wildlife Diaries” at right to get updates on my latest adventures, photo tips, and news from the field.

Follow Tim

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Wildlife Diaries Newsletter Signup

Copyright © 2023 by Tim Laman · Privacy Policy · Design by Drew Fulton · Log in