The Orangutan Health Project [OHP], the first of its kind for orangutans, investigates the special behaviours and ecological conditions necessary to maintain health in wild orangutans.



OHP is the only ongoing, long-term research project studying orangutan health anywhere in the world.



Much information has been gathered concerning orangutan behaviour, but information regarding their health and how they combat diseases is still limited. Recent studies of African great apes show that non-nutritional ingestion of certain plant species aids in the control of certain parasite infections, and provides relief from related gastrointestinal upsets.



Investigation of self-medicating behaviour in the wild orangutan is important for understanding how wild orangutans combat parasite infections that affect their health, reproduction and ultimately their survival. This understanding will help rehabilitation programs teach orangutans how to keep themselves healthy, so they are more likely to survive in the wild after reintroduction.



Current statistics show that we are losing an estimated 20,000 to 100,000 species of rainforest plant a year worldwide - we want to try and highlight the importance of the forest as a vital resource, not only for the maintenance of health in a wild population of orangutans but also as a source of natural medicines which could be used to treat human ailments.



The project is planned for a further four years, having already completed four years.