Woman of the forest by Lydia Karpinska

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Native people on Sumatra and Borneo knew orangutans for thousands of years. Some communities hunted them for food and decorations, while others imposed taboos on these practices. In central Borneo, traditional folk consider it bad luck to look an orangutan in the face. Folk tales often feature orangutans mating with or kidnapping humans, and sometimes seduce hunters with female orangutans. Europeans likely discovered orangutans as early as the 17th century. European explorers hunted them extensively in Borneo during the 19th century. Dutch anatomist Petrus Camper gave the first accurate description of orangutans after observing and dissecting several specimens.