18th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
The World Is Going Upside Down

The name orangutan means "man of the forest" in the Malay language. The Bornean Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) can weigh up to 200 pounds. Flanged males have prominent cheek pads called flanges and a throat sac used to make loud verbalizations called long calls. They mainly feast on wild fruits like lychees, mangosteens, and figs, and slurp water from holes in trees. The loss of their habitat is a big threat to their existence. They spend nearly their entire lives in trees—swinging in tree tops and building nests for sleep. Rapid deforestation and devastation of their habitat is a major threat to their existence. The Bornean orangutan is listed as Endangered and numbers approximately 41,000. I had this frame in my mind so firstly, so to get this shot, I firstly selected a tree that was in the water so that I can get a good reflection of the sky which can make the image look upside down, then I climbed up on the tree and waited for hours. This is a regular path for the orangutans to cross to another small island so I was sure to get this frame if I wait patiently. Hence I waited and waited for long and finally, I got this beautiful frame. This frame will confuse the viewers in one look and that makes it a unique one. It was indeed a tough task but the end result paid it off in double fold. Borneo is a photographers paradise I really enjoyed shooting them in untouched part of the world. But it was equally challenging as reaching few spots in Borneo as it is a difficult and complicated too.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 08.2019
Date Uploaded: 08.2020
Photo Location: Borneo, Malaysia
Camera: NIKON D850
Copyright: © THOMAS VIJAYAN