Orangutan Holds Tourist Captive

During a trip to Upper Sumatra to volunteer helping wild orangutans, I went with two guides on a day hike through the jungle. There are still three orangutans living there who were brought there over ten years ago to be released from captivity. They sometimes manipulate the tourists for fruit and snacks. We were lucky to meet up with the gentler one, Jackie, who was never known to hurt a tourist. I was very blessed that my two guides were able to tell me exactly when to move or stay to avoid possibly being captured myself. This was a safe encounter but it is important to remember that they are still wild animals and anything can happen. This is a good example of why wild animals should never be taken as pets. They are typically let go after they are too large for the humans to want to handle them anymore. It is finally becoming illegal to own wild animals in some parts of the world but many have to be rescued from bad situations from the exotic pet trade.