ABSTRACT
This chapter begins by examining narratives of conflict and collaboration in the orangutan conservation sector. While many research participants expressed the view that collaboration has improved substantially since the 1990s, discussions of past and present controversies linger. These controversies are little known outside the orangutan conservation community. The author explores arguments for and against speaking out publicly about such controversies, which resemble dilemmas around whistle-blowing more broadly. Similar dilemmas are encountered by anthropologists and other outsiders seeking to write about conservation. The author concludes that while in most cases orangutan conservationists are gracious towards others who hold different ethical views, this graciousness disappears when individuals are perceived as putting their own interests above those of orangutans.
