Orangutans in the Pete Swamp Forest

Orangutans are known for being the most solitary of the great apes. Males need to be able to communicate with females over long distances. They also want to let other flange males know who might be listening in the area, that they will not tolerate the presence of another male. To pick up on these tree top conversations, Wendy and her colleagues track the orangutans while wearing a peculiar looking backpack that has a big mic sticking out of it. She and her team also collect urine and stecy samples. Making these collections is messy, but the pee and droppings are full of relevant information, such as their hormone levels and other health indicators.