Orangutan -- human interaction in rehabilitation: Orangutan contribution to interaction and conflict

Orangutan-human interactions are potentially lethal. Developmental factors, especially early experiences and human contact, can predispose ex-captive rehabilitant orangutans to interact with humans. To better understand orangutan contributions to these interactions, I examined whether the human-directed behaviors of nine rehabilitants' (aged 5-14yrs) could be predicted by developmental factors such as age and duration/conditions of captivity and rehabilitation. Seventy-eight hours of human events were collected via focal observation. Younger vs. older rehabilitants had higher rates of interaction promoting behaviors and no response and lower rates of interaction inhibiting behaviors. Longer duration of rehabilitation was associated with higher rates of response to humans and interacted with entry age to predict higher rates of promoting behaviors for early vs. late entrants. Intense human contact during rehabilitation was associated with higher/lower rates of promoting/inhibiting behaviors respectively. In addition, rates of promoting/inhibiting behaviors differed between sexes/orangutan islands. Implications for orangutan rehabilitation and orangutan-human contact are discussed.