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How do orangutans use tools to get food from tree holes?

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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 the wild, orangutans demonstrate significant cognitive abilities, including the production and use of tools. While this behavior is not universal across all populations, orangutans at one specific location in Sumatra consistently use tools for foraging.

To extract insects or honey from tree holes, these orangutans select sticks of an appropriate size and defoliate them to create a functional probe. This tool is then used to reach into the holes to retrieve their food source.1