Conservationists spring to action to save struggling orangutan

Courageous conservationists in Borneo have prevented an orangutan from drowning in a raging torrent by jumping into white water rapids.

Having spotted the orangutan struggling to hang on to rocks in the middle of rapids in Lesan River, the conservationists sprang to action and got resourceful.

One of the conservationists stood in the rapids attempting to pull the orangutan to dry land using a hacked off tree branch.

But their first attempt failed after the orangutan was unable to reach the branch.

They then attached branches together and created a makeshift bridge for the ape to climb across.

With the help of the conservationists, the orangutan made it to dry land and made its way straight to the safety of nearby trees.

The conservationists work for the Centre for Orangutan Protection in Indonesia's East Kalimantan province.

They uploaded the footage of their March 12 rescue to YouTube last week.