Adelaide Zoo

As a conservation charity, every visit, adoption, donation and ticket helps save species from extinction

Orangutan Encounter

orangutan

Help our keepers with an Orangutan Training Session!

Go behind the scenes at Adelaide Zoo and get up close to these awe-inspiring animals. Considered by many scientists to be the smartest of all the great apes, you’ll have a front-row seat for a live training session highlighting their personalities and impressive intelligence.

Meet one of our dedicated primate keepers and gain insight into the fascinating intellectual and behavioural skills of primates and the role of enrichment in animal welfare.

Highlights of this experience

  • Come face to face with our closest living primate relative
  • Meet one of our incredible primate keepers and be part of a fascinating training session
  • Get exclusive access to a behind-the-scenes area of Adelaide Zoo

Orangutans are the largest tree-dwelling mammal on earth and have an enormous arm span! Some male orangutans can stretch their arms 2 metres from fingertip to fingertip.

Did you know that humans share 97% of our DNA with orangutans?

How your ticket helps our conservation efforts

It’s estimated there are only around 7,000 orangutans left in the wild which suggest that they could be extinct within the next ten years as the population continues to decline.

The main threats to these magnificent mammals in the wild are the illegal wildlife trade and habitat loss due to deforestation, conversion for agriculture and clearing of land for unsustainable palm oil plantations.

By purchasing a ticket to Orangutan Encounter at Adelaide Zoo, you are not only supporting the incredible species in our care, you’re also helping us raise awareness and valuable funds to safeguard their wild cousins. Part of the income generated from our Animal Experiences contributes to the work Zoos SA does in support of a wide number of conservation programs both within and beyond our gates.

Want to get involved? You can help!

Adopt or donate