Love, empathy, privilege — those aren’t words you generally hear floating up out of the trenches of conservation battles. Leif Cocks believes — we have to see beyond the mere mechanics of conservation. For over thirty years Leif has shared an intimate connection with what some primatologists call the “second most intelligent” animal on Earth — the orangutan. Leif Cocks is the founder and president of The Orangutan Project, an Australian-based NGO which seeks to protect all three critically endangered orangutan species and their rapidly disappearing habitats on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. Support the showTalking Apes is an initiative of the nonprofit GLOBIO. Learn more: Official website: talkingapes.org Instagram: @talkingapes_podcast Twitter: @talking_apes Support our work by making a small donation here, or for access to exclusive content and rewards, click here to become a Patreon member. Thanks for listening!