23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Wildlife
Baby Orangutan

It's almost off-putting how closely orangutan behavior can mirror our own. While I was photographing this baby in Sabah, Borneo, she suddenly paused, looked straight into my eyes, and begin to wave her hand up and down at me. I had always thought of this gesture as uniquely human— and as far as I know, it's never been documented in orangutans before.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 12.2024
Date Uploaded: 09.2025
Photo Location: Sabah, Malaysia
Camera: Canon EOS R5
Copyright: © paddy hackett