Orangutan mums hang out on playdates – even if it comes at a cost to themselves

Suzi Eszterhas

Play is an important part of childhood. It is essential for healthy brain and social development, and orangutans are no exception. But for a young orangutan, who spends most of their time in the sole company of their mother, finding a playmate is challenging. Now, a new study has revealed the extraordinary lengths that orangutan mums go to, to give their babies a chance to play with others.

By looking at 15 years of tracking and behavioural data from wild Bornean orangutans, researchers have discovered that neighbouring mothers actively go out of their way to find play partners for their children — even if it comes at a cost to the mother. Mothers with infants of similar age will spend more time in shared areas between territories, and these aren’t random run-ins.

Before a playdate, a mother will travel further than normal and purposefully navigates towards her neighbour’s territory. Such long travel and intense socialising is draining, and she spends much less time feeding to facilitate the playdate. Once the infants have finished playing, the mothers steer their path straight back home. Arranging playdates takes a physical and energetic toll on the mother.

This is fascinating because it shows the playdates provide little to no direct benefit to the mothers. Unlike other social animals, the mothers don’t groom or form alliances. So, this behaviour represents a maternal sacrifice, showing how orangutan mums alter their daily schedule and energetic needs to support their child’s development — all to give their babies the best possible start in life.

We must protect forests and give orangutan mothers the space to roam, allowing natural behaviours such as playdates, and giving their babies the best possible start in life.