A Disabled Orangutan Exhibits Shockingly Unusual Behavior

A young female orangutan spots something across the water. To investigate, she wades in and begins to swim - startlingly unusual behavior for an orangutan.
From the Series: Orangutan Jungle School: Second Chances bit.ly/2lYEu3p

[@AcerbicOrder]

The vision it takes to see termites from that far away...

[@dee-jaylibnao8602]

Ikr.

[@pawtleopard]

I can't read a book further away than 2 feet from my face.

[@dragonballtorture]

@James Tisdale have you fully mastered it yet?

[@dragonballtorture]

@James Tisdale jeez, and all it took was 3 months

[@antonisteggeris9285]

@Shlomo Shekelberg I bet you can identify a quarter on the pavement from double that distance too

[@blackreazor]

I wonder of people realize how quickly one learns when one isn't on survival mode all the time.

[@Skipbo000]

But being in survival mode is precisely how one learns to survive.

[@LucyKelly-of6cu]

​@@Skipbo000It stops learning, actually, because it takes up all of the attention for one's surroundings. No attention is given to academic subjects, or not enough to succeed in them. You don't learn maths when you are in a shootout!

[@infinitejest441]

Kesi is one smart girl😘

[@LeafyGreenDA]

Orangutans sink, humans swim. She swims, but I sink. Who is what exactly? Nothing is permanent, maybe.

[@ae5631]

thank you for this poem

[@LeafyGreenDA]

@The Sentry If being 100 lbs (sorry am American) is obese, everyone will die now.

[@michaeljackson8002]

BECOME one with monkie

[@nicocola284]

@@LeafyGreenDA you are thin

[@jordanmartens5591]

Imagine how good those termites must be if you're willing to risk death to get them despite already having a meal in hand haha

[@MaddysinLeigh]

She’s probably scared the others would take her food.

[@mjkay8660]

amazing eye sight. unusual orang

[@Boofyre]

That's awesome!

[@TheBooban]

Termites better than turnips?

[@yaboikillermemestar5665]

Science: Orangutans can't swim Kesi: Hold my dense body

[@KruezFam]

I had a rough day today and needed a laugh. Thank you. :)

[@yaboikillermemestar5665]

@@KruezFam Oh, I'm glad I could help... hope you feel better!

[@KruezFam]

@@yaboikillermemestar5665 It did, thank you. And good combination of a good laugh and watching an animal with less hands/feet than me deal with life. Good reminder that bad stuff happens, but it's gonna be ok. :) Thanks again. I'm leaving today on this good note. Time for bed.

[@yaboikillermemestar5665]

@@KruezFam yep, good night:)

[@rbnmullane]

😆😆😆😆

[@carterhicks7441]

imagine braving one of the most dangerous activities your species could do just to cross some water and eat bug.

[@Milamberinx]

You mean "cross a road to buy some peanut butter"? I do that regularly.

[@mateuszjokiel2813]

That's monke for you

[@AGENTOFDARWIN]

or get in a 1 ton cage and hurle it 60 mph down a road with dozens of other people doing the same with little to no proper training.>> crazy

[@chim-chimney]

Bug tasty

[@sweetgirl070707]

Can relate

[@lynnski7639]

In one episode Kesi was attacked in the water by one of the dominant females,she was being bullied & had lost a lot of weight,seeing her so tiny & scared made difficult viewing so to see her looking healthier & confident is great.Go Kesi

[@aredub6924]

Now I have to look up Kesi and see what you're talking about

[@enolaxd4796]

Are Dub me too

[@arimasmemphis4061]

Kesi's been there since she was an infant. She made a few appearances on Orangutan Island, years ago. I'm surprised that she's still there.

[@catc6050]

My heart sank when I watched Kesi get attacked in the water. She's such a sweetheart and they pick on her cuz they see weakness. She's 100% my favorite and I'm always rooting for her

[@ProtossWannabe1984]

Apes have their own Mean Girls too it seems

[@peaceblossom8]

"Kesi's motivation for this risky choice is, of course, food." Yeah, we definitely have a common ancestor :D

[@lincolnpratt8221]

Yes you do, millions upon millions of years ago.

[@adamextras]

That is not your ancestor.

[@penisbumpkin3315]

that literally means nothing. food-driven behavioral adaptations are as old as life itself. That trait 1.2 billion years old.

[@penisbumpkin3315]

@@adamextras no but we share a common one with them. as in they have an ancestor that is also our ancestor.

[@uaa2800]

Just like every other animal on earth

[@gregdenys7162]

"Kesi had her hand chopped off when palm oil plantation workers killed her mother"

[@Leyla7292]

So horrible 😮 Poor innocent Kensi 😥💔

[@saltydunmer]

Vegans

[@robynboone8256]

So terrible.

[@HelmetBlissta]

Salty Dunmer well, yes, kind of.. It might be more accurate to say, big business.

[@pilz4566]

@@saltydunmer nearly every product has palm oil in it.

[@brimestonelewis8775]

Can we just acknowledge the fact that not only is she swimming, she's swimming with one hand! I didn't know that was possible!

[@brimestonelewis8775]

Still. Pretty impressive.

[@brimestonelewis8775]

Turnip? Nah I like peas :p

[@SA-121]

Humans can float or swim with feet only, orangutans hardly even with all limbs.

[@1mr255]

That would be dangerous in the wild, though

[@evanoneill619]

Its amazing. Most orangutans don't go deeper than their waste and when they do (as you heard In this vid) they drown!

[@batja2719]

Dont underestimate the power of a loner when they wanna be alone

[@codent]

introverts unite! well, not literally... but you get my drift

[@breezyg7652]

codent ye

[@ANTSEMUT1]

@@codent we introverts are good at planning, we just don't like small talk and time wasting.

[@MilkyWhite1]

@livnlf2thefulst Honestly, I wish we could live the pandemic lifestyle forever, masks included. I've escaped the notice of people I know more than once in grocery stores because of it.

[@2degucitas]

@livnlf2thefulst My kids say that this isolation in place thing is just everyday normal life for me. They are right.

[@2taggs2]

Based on the title, I thought this was going to be depressing - I'm glad I clicked on it

[@Brazil-loves-you]

Blablablablablaaaáaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[@TragoudistrosMPH]

I avoided this video for a week for the same reason!

[@kaarlimakela3413]

When you have to make functional adjustments in one way, you can start to be wired to make other adaptations.

[@ferrisbueller9991]

Like wearing inverted mirror glasses and viewing the world upside down for days until your brain internally flips it back for you.

[@tangent948]

@@ferrisbueller9991 woah i want to try that

[@treasurechest2951]

i feel very protective of her and i don't know why

[@CountingStars333]

Cause she's a disabled underdog figure.

[@tuesdaypatience]

Kesi is straight up my orangutan heroine. She’s so sweet and kind, but is beginning to learn to stand up for herself. And now she’s starting to do things that “normal” orangutans would not be able to attempt. I can’t wait until she’s a momma herself out on one of the release islands!!

[@vindictivetiger]

she can

[@VuMinhThuFPLHN]

Sound like a story of the chosen one

[@poppete]

Her disability has helped her move beyond the normal - she evolved other skills - perhaps it will be a skill that will get passed on to others of her kind.

[@catc6050]

Kesi is 100% my favorite! I'm always rooting for her and get so upset when I see alpha females bullying her. She is very resilient and resourceful and a great problem solver. She wanted those termites and she found a way to get to them! Go Kesi! 🤗❤❤❤

[@__seeker__]

I’m equally impressed with her incredible eyesight. She really saw termites on a tree from THAT far away?

[@sandrayoung4836]

That's beautiful, thank you for sharing.

[@Brazil-loves-you]

Blablablablablaaaáaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[@joehaney5482]

Animals never cease to amaze me.

[@flowerfaerie8931]

My heart was in my throat when I saw her do this. I was so scared she would drown, it’s a real threat for orangutans. Thank goodness Kesi was alright.

[@teminternetemmordor7178]

Dude...Kesi can cross a bridge made of ropes meanwhile i procastinate my homeworks...after this víeo i have the motivation i need.

[@BirdsInNatureGarden]

Many thanks for sharing this beautiful footage!👍

[@adlibruj]

I guess she has good eyesight!

[@briananderson2219]

I’m not sure why, but I felt compassion for that beautiful little primate. Bless her little soul I hope she lives a long happy life

[@justbreathe_]

Because you’re a good human being. 👍

[@roryyoung10]

Because she's innocent and her home has been destroyed, her parents killed and she's trying to to find her way in life. How couldn't you hold any degree of sympathy?

[@stevebgrant1086]

I adore Kesi. Sweet and courageous. Many can learn from her

[@TempleGuitars]

On the one hand I want so much to give Kesi a big hug. On the other hand I'm terrified of anything that can easily rip my arms off.

[@vindictivetiger]

divorce yourself of the notion that wild creatures want a hug from you.

[@TempleGuitars]

@@vindictivetiger Never said they did.

[@K9River]

Kesi: On one hand I would love a hug. On the other hand....oh, wait. I'll just take a hug :-)

[@herpderp3916]

Compared to chimps, orangutans are pretty chill. Still doesn't mean they CAN'T rip you apart lol

[@ido9988]

@@herpderp3916 I read that orangutans are actually quite violent. Especially the males, who are frequently violent to the females too.

[@beamer.electronics]

Kesi must've learnt to dangerously swim/wade to avoid others - to go where others dare not tread (swim :), it's her 'safe' zone. Also, those termites must really taste good - I'll give'em a try ;)

[@hyacinthlady]

I HAVE inquired about Kesi many times. I hope she is being tracked. I don't know if she has a GPS tracker placed. She should be allowed to live out the rest of her life on a pre-release to provide her with nourishment. She has it hard, my heart goes out to her.

[@Shinigami13133]

If she's capable of doing stuff like swimming to get to food, she'll be fine being released out onto a nature preserve. She's proving she can handle herself without supervision

[@CeltycSparrow]

I think a better title for this clip would be "Beautiful and intelligent orangutan exhibits that she can take care of herself, EVEN in wet conditions.

[@Gwyllgi]

I'm guessing she lost her hand in a poachers trap?

[@ascetic3312]

That or something equally horrifying.

[@lifeisbeautiful8576]

@@DarkAlex1978 if that is the case, then i wish endless misery and horrible death upon them.May they suffer the worst consequences .🙏

[@patrickmcleod111]

@@lifeisbeautiful8576 Heaven forbid people be "forced to endure" the "horrible inconvenience" of not having 1 additional type of vegetable oil to choose from! Gee, how would society possibly cope without friggin palm oil?? We may have to actually choose one of the gazillion other cooking oils! Obviously that's asking too much, so the orangutans will have to make great "sacrifices" , so that we won't have to do the same! Oy vey....

[@LlibertarianGalt]

@Gi Gi and alternatives to palm oil are worse than palm oil in terms of cutting down trees and killing animals to make space for them.

[@gregs7519]

PrimaDeluxe Poachers working on palm oil plantations that vegans love so much cut off her hand.

[@nellieb9434]

Way to go Kesi! Not letting a handicap stop you. To see you swim was amazing. You look so much better now that you have gained weight. It would be Wonderful to see you as a Mother. But I think your still young. This video made me so Happy . Thank you to all the hard work all of you put into the orangutans. GOD BLESS YOU ALL!

[@skull_crusher7416]

don't speak as if she's hearing you, because she isn't

[@Roadent1241]

Skull_crusher So? Doesn't mean the message can't be relayed.

[@drewjohn8554]

She's a true survivor

[@gforgeorge6693]

This is breathtaking she has extremely sharp eyes she can achieve her goal just by seeing it. I think we can do this as well we can all achieve goals even if it seems impossible.

[@todaywefly4370]

While not knocking the act of her going in to the water, that was a very loose description of ‘swimming’. She seemed to be always within reach of the next branch or submerged tree. More like dragging yourself along.

[@krappypattay9536]

I love you kesi :(

[@jomama5186]

What a sweetheart! Super clever!, Thank you for loving animals!

[@chickennugsoil4421]

Imagine how godly we would become if we had thumbs on our feet

[@SA-121]

*clumsy

[@ae5631]

a bad idea

[@VariaBug]

As people have said if you have 100% working thumbs you wouldn't be able to walk very well as our feet are designed for long distance travel. However you can train yourself to use them in a limited capacity, I regularly pick up stuff with my feet ever since I was a child, thus mine are a bit more dexterous than normal, people with missing hands can use their feet almost as good as normal hands with years of practice.

[@jimdavis8391]

In the next episode multiple Orangutans learn to shoot AK47s.

[@varshasrivastva8554]

Now they are fighting for their existence

[@justiceneeded01]

Heartbreaking:(

[@jyesucevitz]

i don't know why seeing that poor girl missing her hand take to the water like a duck (albeit a 150lb ginger duck) makes me emotional? seeing someone overcome an obstacle in an unexpected way? anyway, i do find it hard to fast forward or switch videos if i see 2 baby orang's holding onto each other.

[@jeannataylor1299]

Hope those were the yummiest bugs ever!

[@veot.2869]

Must be some awfully tasty termites!!!!!

[@truthseeker1934]

Not so much for us. Probably the same taste as ants. 😂

[@joebacon6817]

they don't value taste as much :p they're packed with protein, that's what she cares about

[@waywarddistraction]

such incredible creatures...... i would die for kesi 😭

[@nancydemoss8421]

God watch over Kesi and all the other animals. 🙏😊

[@ShaneSILVA187]

She drops her vegetables and fruit to swim across a lake all to eat termites??

[@Skipbo000]

how do you know where to find food?

[@penelopedinkledongs7178]

Adaptation is the Name Of The Game for all beings, human and otherwise.

[@RunMan254]

Didn’t even swim bro walked across the water lol

[@89burni]

I love Orangutans so much.

[@carrielucas5672]

Awwww... such beautiful little souls.

[@curtisbarkes6271]

Disregarding given food to risk life(after losing limb) to SWIM and get foraged, natural food. AMAZING!!!!

[@jollycooperation7446]

She may be missing 1 hand but she has 3 more to get her around.

[@jds6014]

I love orangutans!

[@pameladelmonte2418]

I love ANIMALS period!❤🇺🇸

[@woodsmanwhitesmith6928]

one day in a school a child will ask , " why are there no other great apes on Earth besides humans" and the answer will be " because humans "

[@BlGGESTBROTHER]

That day is sadly fast approaching...

[@giraffe1219]

Apes truly are such beautiful creatures. I love seeing humans in them. Knowing we both came from the same ancestors millions of years ago. I love all animals, but there’s just something so cool about apes.

[@sharonwolfe5210]

Indeed!!! Orangs are my favorite!!!

[@mr16325]

I would love one as a pet so bad, but they aren’t pets

[@rupertmay3014]

She's not a survivor shes a WARRIOR with all the battles she fights daily

[@goatmealcookies7421]

Snacks... the motivatiin for innivatiin.

[@godslaughter]

Incredible people, I have so much love and respect for them.

[@syntaulina8603]

I love these creatures. God bless you for sharing this vid.

[@jilliansmith7123]

Orangutan: drops turnip to get termites. Yum.

[@NickyDee86]

Yesss Kesi slay girl

[@natebush8217]

Buzz Lightyear: "Aquatic Orangutans! Aquatic Orangutans Everywhere!"

[@iceg6621]

Nate Bush signs of intelligent life

[@PotatoPatatoVonSpudsworth]

Wow... For context, one way to escape a territorial orangutan is to cross running water. Even a bridge over a smallish river is often enough to frighten one off. They normally HATE water...

[@kaymo225]

Her hand was cut off as a baby by a palm-oil field worker, he probably killed her mother.

[@jsdev4454]

can you share where you read that?

[@raihanabari7896]

With her one hand missing, she learned more skills to survive, it’s amazing!

[@feralbluee]

why use the word ‘shocking’. that implies something not so good. why not use amazing. anyone interested in our animal relatives doesn’t need click bait to watch. what an incredible girl she is. thanks for taking care of her. who knows what she’ll pass on to her babies as she is a bit different from her mates. :) 🌷✨🦧🌱

[@Pizzaguy-jg7so]

“Orangutans aren’t built to swim” Kesi: I’m gonna do what’s called a pro-gamer move.

[@uplink-on-yt]

More curious in the habitat than in the wild. Does that correlate with safety vs danger? Some sort of Garden of Eden effect? If there's no Garden of Eden effect in the literature, you're welcome to use the term in your studies.

[@panspermiahunter7597]

More adventurous than in the wild, that could explain why civilised safe cultures develope faster because they are not constantly looking over their shoulder but instead can use their intelligence and imagination more.

[@lulumoon6942]

She so inspired me in my own struggles, thank you!!! ❤️

[@Skipbo000]

are you missing a hand, lulu?

[@lulumoon6942]

@@Skipbo000 I have hemiplegia, formerly ambidextrous, but now only partial use of one hand. You, Skip Bo?

[@NubaidBinFaisal]

I finally saw my friend shanins youtube channel and the baby she made with her husbands,. Allhamdullilah and Inshallah they will have more seggs.

[@pr0v0cative4pple]

I've watched a ton of Orangutan Jungle School and Kesi is definitely one of my very favorite orangutans. I hope that her self-confidence improves when it comes to her being bullied, because she is so amazingly capable and can definitely hold her own

[@BatMan-xr8gg]

Orangutan's cant swim. Kesi does it. Evolution. Finds a new way to get to food.

[@daithiocinnsealach1982]

How did she lose her hand?

[@ronaldjoseph4425]

She lost it Walmart!

[@frodobagginz2094]

'Nam

[@AndyPMusic]

I'm pretty sure she lost her hand because of poachers, if my memory serves me correctly, poachers killed her mom with a machete and accidentally cut her hand off.

[@josephpearson7164]

She is not swimming. She is passively drifting.

[@kakarot9463]

I guess nothing comes between kesi and her food; not her arm and not even her achilles heel, i.e. water.

[@PitsTasteGood]

A disability does not guarantee that you are disabled. Maybe we should change the word.

[@bruceanderson5538]

My guess is deforestation is a greatest threat to our fellow Gaiaens. IMHO

[@makeuptimewithkelly8385]

I can’t wait for season 2! I loved all of the first season!

[@seretith3513]

Would be actully great for the Species to get this Skill into the Wild

[@shuntley23]

Kesi is my favorite orangutan on this show. I always end up rooting for the under dog. I hope she was released into the wild as this show is a few years old. I'm so glad she's adapted so well without a hand and how she's had more confidence since the bullying.

[@melodiouslotus1685]

On the school's website, it said she was released ^^

[@tecumsehcristero]

Interesting. Very interesting

[@melissaschaefer5257]

Amazing beautiful animals! How in the world did she spot termites from so far btw?? Lol

[@Leyla7292]

Poor here, lost one hand 😔 I hope the other orangutan are kind 2 here 🙏 Amazing that she can swim so well ❣️

[@EJD339]

This has 2 seasons already that are available on the Smithsonian app ( I think it’s 5 bucks a month). I’d recommend watching this series. It’s extremely fascinating.

[@pmmeyourdadjokes9811]

Just makes me sick that someone would look at one of these beautiful creates, see how similar they are to humans... and cut it's hand off, leaving it there to bleed out.

[@twojointsjay7330]

A man said to another, "There's a Bacon Tree just over that there hill." "A bacon tree?" The man replied, "I've never even heard of such a thing." "Well, I heard it's there, and it has the most delicious bacon in the world." So the man decides to go over the hill to find the bacon tree, but as the sun sets he comes back with a black eye and a broken arm. "What happened, did you find the Bacon Tree?" "No, it was a Ham Bush."

[@briananderson2219]

Smithsonian thank you for making this video. I feel my life was ever so slightly enhanced by watching this video

[@amhunter9619]

I LOVE Orangutans, clearly the best of the large apes, but for God's sake, her mother killed and her hand chopped off by ... yeh, you guessed it, HUMANS! What is WRONG with us?

[@trueaussie9230]

Money money money.

[@muddywitch9016]

“Drowning is a major cause if orangutan deaths”. Then maybe more orangutans need to learn to swim?

[@jessicaaudate]

😂😂😂

[@NxDoyle]

You know they're not humans, right?

[@muddywitch9016]

Nx Doyle Yes of course, other species than humans can swim. And the higher apes are perfectly capable of learning new skills. So if one orang can learn to swim others can pick it up as well.

[@nono-fb8tr]

@@muddywitch9016 Their bodies are too dense, so it's not about "learning" its that they kind of just can't in general because of the way they're proportioned. that's why its so incredible that Kesi swam in this clip, or even went into the water at all.

[@Sirmenonottwo]

turnip and termites, doesn't get any better than that for an orangutan!

[@anniyahvive]

Glad she's doing much better than before.

[@indiahenretta2962]

Love love ❤️ love ❤️ Always the Orangutans❤️❤️❤️from San Diego California

[@brendareed8412]

So, they can swim, they choose not to do it. Hmmmm....

[@patrickmcleod111]

**No offense to the disabled orangutan, but I'd MUCH prefer a turnip, if the only other option is to swim through a badly flooded, mosquito and snake infested jungle, in order to find and eventually eat termites!**

[@g33xzi11a]

Patrick McLeod protein. Lots of protein.