Raleigh International

Wildlife experts now believe that orangutans could be cleverer than first thought after catching the orange apes on video making mimicking gestures to communicate.

The recordings of rehabilitated orangutans released into a Borneo forest show the apes miming actions such as cracking open termite mounds, washing themselves and using a leaf to clean a wounded foot.

The footage suggests they are capable of conveying complex communication and resort to mimes to elaborate on messages directed at other apes and their former keepers.

The Guardian reported that in some recordings, orangutans used gestures to distract or mislead others and one animal even indicated to researchers that it wanted a haircut, as a ruse to divert their attention while it stole something.

Raleigh expedition country Borneo, as well as the island of Sumatra, are the only places in the world to see wild orangutans. The Sepilok sanctuary in Sabah, where Raleigh is based, offers gap year travellers the opportunity to see the majestic creatures up close and personal.