ENTRY DESCRIPTION
Orangutans are great apes, as opposed to monkeys, and are closely related to humans, having 97% of DNA in common. Orang-utan literally means “the person of the forest”. They are extremely patient and highly intelligent mammals. Also they are very observant and inquisitive. The image here shows how they can portray complex emotions and feelings through their human like expressions.
Extinction in the wild is likely in the next 10 years for Sumatran orangutans and soon after for Bornean orangutans. Both the Sumatran species (Pongo abelii) and the Bornean species (Pongo pygmaeus) are classified as Critically Endangered according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
AUTHOR
Venkatesh Kittur (aka Venky) is a self-taught photographer based in Melbourne, Australia. He loves photography as it allows him to share this wonderful world that he sees through his lens, with the audience worldwide. He often attempts to capture images that create a connection between the subject and the photographer, through which he hopes that people see what he sees and experience the same emotion as he does when they see his work.
Venky’s passion lies in raising awareness about animal behaviour, wildlife conservation and the beauty of nature through his images, in a hope that someday people appreciate everything that is around them and work towards preserving nature.
Animals are close to his heart and he loves studying their intelligence and behaviour. Photography as a hobby allows Venky to get close to animals whether they live in a macro world, in sanctuaries, in reserves, in a farm or in the wild. He sees animals as sentient beings worthy of every bit of our compassion and consideration and photography helps Venky convey these messages to the wider audience.
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