Join Dr. P as he describes what it is like to go to Borneo and work with the our distant cousins, the orangutans (this is an Indonesian word meaning “man of the forest”). His first trip was in 1991 where he helped do some basic medical work along with some research monitoring wild orangutans. He went back 21 years later to see the changes and work with a new group of people and orangutans.
The island of Borneo has suffered dramatic deforestation on the last several decades due mostly to the replacement of the rain forest with palm oil trees. This change, along with other insults you will learn about, has had devastating consequences for the orangutans, pushing them closer than ever to extinction.
Dr. P graduated from Michigan State University in 1978, and has been practicing veterinary medicine for over 42 years. He specialize in dogs and cats along with exotic animals. His main emphasis now is in teaching the newly graduated veterinarians how to utilize all of the knowledge they gained in college by applying critical thinking to their cases.
Dr. P has also been traveling the world and teaching wildlife photography since his first trip to Russia in 1984. His photography is not just about the photo, it is to share with the world what is happening in many unique places that most people cannot visit and that are having substantial problems with climate change. He does this sharing through his web site and his many public presentation, using his photos to tell a story. He commonly brings veterinary students with him to learn about the world and to carry on educating the public of the plight of the animals and people on our planet.