Anne E. Russon
York Univesity
Anne E. Russon
In spring 2012 The Leakey Foundation awarded Anne E. Russon a grant for her long-term study of behavior in east Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus morio) at the Bendili study area (Kutai National Park). This project focused specifically on orangutan ranging, feeding ecology and spatial cognition.
Researchers have studied orangutans in the Bendili and nearby Mentoko study areas several times over the last 44 years. During this time their habitat has undergone drastic changes, including commercial logging incursions, severe droughts and massive forest fires. In the report below Russon describes some of her team’s findings, including how intra-site comparisons of activity budgets and travel distances provide insight into how these orangutans coped with this series of habitat changes.
