Orangutan at Colchester Zoo has Professional Photo Shoot

---

Colchester Zoo was thrilled to have conceptual animal photographer, Tim Flach at the zoo to photograph Rajang the orangutan for his new book. The book is a visual exploration of the rainforest habitat and stands alone from other wildlife picture books by emphasising the ecological and environmental processes behind its subjects.

Tim Flach is well known for his interest in the interpretation and humanization of animals and wanted to convey the close relationship between primates and humans in these photographs. He did this with a close up photograph of Rajang’s hand and by capturing the image of Rajang gazing at the camera in a very human manner.

Rajang has just passed his 42nd birthday and is one of Colchester Zoo’s most popular and iconic animals. A hybrid of both the Bornean and Sumatran Orang-utan species, he has been at the zoo for over 30 years and is well known for his fascination with man.


Tim said ‘Working with Rajang was an incredible experience and he was as curious in us as we were in him. It allowed us to take pictures with the unique opportunity of intimacy’.

In addition to showing the genetic connection between humans and primates Tim also wanted the photographs to represent Rajang as a symbol of the deeper ecological and economic challenges that the endangered orangutan species is faced with in their natural rainforest habitat.

In the wild orangutan populations have declined by well over 50% in the last 60 years and are set to decline further at the same staggering rate. The decrease in their population is largely due to habitat loss but is also due to forest fires, poaching and the pet trade.

Tim has won several awards including the International Photography Awards Professional Photographer of the Year in 2006. He has already released two books ‘Dogs Gods’ and ‘Equus’ and his new book will be available in October 2012.




EssexTouristGuide.com 29th June 2011

---