How do Sumatran orangutans use sticks to find food?

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An illustration of a female Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) with long reddish-brown fur, hanging from tree branches with one arm extended upward and one leg hooked over a branch. A scale bar at the bottom shows lengths of 30 centimeters and 12 inches for size reference. — orangutan Female orangutans (*Pongo*) have the longest breeding interval of any mammal, giving birth on average once every eight years.

In Sumatra, certain populations of orangutans consistently use tools to assist in foraging. To do this, they select sticks of an appropriate size and defoliate them. These modified sticks are then used to extract insects or honey from holes in trees and to pry seeds from hard-shelled fruit.1