# Orangutan mothers set up play dates for their young, study finds

Research published in Nature shows that orangutan mothers actively arrange social encounters so their offspring can play with other young orangutans. The finding challenges the long-held view that orangutans are largely solitary and adds to evidence that great apes deliberately manage their children's social lives.

**Importance:** 2/5

## Sources

### Science
- [Nature](https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-03238-1) — 2026-10-15