the orangutans
by James Penha
will finally cross that bridge
when they come to it
Two years ago, conservationists in North Sumatra, Indonesia built a rope bridge in the jungle canopy hoping that orangutans whose habitat had been truncated by a busy highway would learn to use the bridge and so safely travel throughout their habitat. The Sumatran Orangutan Society set up a time lapse camera awaiting the first simian pontist to dare to cross. In April, they recorded it!
Further reading:
‘Cries of delight’ as Sumatran orangutan filmed using canopy bridge to cross road for first time, 2026, Tomkins, I., The Guardian, available: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/25/first-footage-endangered-sumatran-orangutan-using-canopy-bridge-cross-road-hope-species-aoe?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Author bio:
Expat New Yorker James Penha (he/him 🌈) has lived for the past three decades in Indonesia. His story collection Queer As Folk Tales was published by Deep Desires Press in October 2025. His chapbook of poems American Daguerreotypes is available for Kindle.
Penha edits TheNewVerse.News, an online journal of current-events poetry. You can find out more about his poetry on his website https://jamespenha.com and catch up with him on BlueSky @jamespenha.bsky.social