Orangutans, Science, and Collective Reality

Abstract

The future of orangutan conservation and research is tied to public perceptions, and to the government and corpo- rate powers that react to and shape the collective realities of their constituents. It is time for primatologists to or- ganize to influence those collective realities. Crucial to this effort is the reconciliation of contrasting metaphors based on the objective, interpretive, and interactive perceptions of orangutan which are reported by experimental scientists, field naturalists, and clinical practitioners. This treatise begins such a reconciliation by comparing re- ports of profound interspecies events (PIEs) -- social phenomena identified and studied by the author, that relate directly to primatologists' different value laden perceptions of nature. The relative effectiveness of scientific, naturalistic and humanistic scenarios in evoking human concern for wildlife must be considered when deciding which stories to tell and how to tell them. Pitfalls in reporting orangutan behavior in two perceptually "hot" areas, sexual behavior and male dominance, are discussed. A collaborative strategy is presented for producing and pro- moting collective realities that will promulgate the safety and well-being of orangutans in captivity, in sanctuary, and in their native habitats.