How an orangutan bravely crossed a new bridge to unite a divided community

When a road cuts through a forest where Indonesia’s Sumatran orangutans live, it splits the Sumatran orangutan community in two and led to concerns that inbreeding could lead to health problems and eventual extinction.

Conservation groups Sumatran Orangutan Society (SOS) and Tangguh Hutan Khatulistiwa have built a canopy bridge with help from the government in the hope that orangutan communities will use it to travel between the two sides of the forest.

However, the bridge sat unused for two years – until an orangutan bravely crossed over to reach the other side.

SOS chief executive Helen Buckland told the BBC how the long-awaited and exciting crossing will dramatically change the lives of primates.

Video Ayman Valachi.