Orangutans Learn Local Food Preferences Through Observation, Study Finds

A study has found that migrant male orangutans learn what foods to eat and how to process them by observing and imitating the locals in their new habitat. The researchers observed peering behavior, where the orangutans intensely observed and mimicked the actions of role models. The study suggests that this social learning is crucial for the survival and adaptation of orangutans in new environments. The ability to quickly adapt to novel environments by learning from locals is likely ancestral in our hominin lineage.