Face to Face With Orangutans

That look in her eye is so human. She cradles her baby in her arms with such pride and tenderness. She interacts with family and peers in a way that suggests deep kinship, friendship, and trust. Meet the orangutan of Borneo in her natural habitat through the amazing adventures of National Geographic photographer Tim Laman and his wife, Harvard professor Cheryl Knott; and learn clearly the threats that now face this incredible primate.

Tim Laman is a contributing photographer to National Geographic magazine, a research associate in ornithology at the Harvard University Museum of Comparative Zoology, and a fellow at the International League of Conservation Photographers. He is also a field biologist and wildlife photojournalist. In pursuing his passion for exploring wild places and documenting little-known and endangered wildlife, Laman has developed a reputation for being able to come back with shots of nearly impossible subjects like gliding animals in Borneo, displaying birds of paradise, and some of the most critically endangered birds in the world.

Cheryl Knott is an associate professor of anthropology at Boston University who collaborates on orangutan research and conservation projects in Borneo’s rain forest with her husband, wildlife photojournalist Tim Laman. They are the coauthors of National Geographic’s Face to Face with Orangutans. She has also contributed to many academic journals, including the International Journal of Primatology. To learn more, visit cherylknott.wordpress.com.