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Following up from the lions-attacking-menstruating-women question, I read an account that claimed male orangutans will rape a human woman, especially if she is in menstruated. Are there verified occurrences?

Example of source with this claim: Walking with the Great Apes by Sy Montgomery (2009) Page 151

Sklivvz
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  • Related: [this page](http://www.vice.com/read/yo1-v14n10) claims that some humans rape Orangutans ... – Martin Tournoij Feb 06 '15 at 20:42
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    Strange; because you would have thought an animal enticed to sexual activities presumably by the smell of a female of another ape species would have evolved to know that she's pretty much at her least fertile when menstruating. – GeoffAtkins Feb 23 '17 at 22:40
  • @GeoffAtkins: Only a very small number of rape incidences (human or animal, it does not matter) is about procreation. Usually the underlying issue is one of dominance, or drive gratification. Fertility of the victim is of no consequence. – DevSolar Feb 24 '17 at 15:36
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    @DevSolar - The question is about menstruation making the chances more likely; from what I know of zoology I find it unusual for an animal to be *more* likely to commit rape under such circumstances. – GeoffAtkins Feb 24 '17 at 15:42
  • @GeoffAtkins: Again. Menstruation is about fertility. Rape is not. – DevSolar Feb 24 '17 at 15:43
  • @DevSolar - Let me rephrase; What about a woman's menses would make a male orang'utan more likely to attempt to rape her? What is it about her being on her period that would encourage an orang'utan to be more likely to attempt to dominate her? – GeoffAtkins Feb 24 '17 at 15:51
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    @GeoffAtkins: I don't know what goes on in an orangutan's mind (or I would have written an answer by now). What I *do* know is that your comment, casting doubt on the claim **on the basis** that a menstruating woman is less fertile, is misleading, as it assumes this is about the orangutan's drive to procreate. Also, on general terms, as misunderstanding rape is sadly widespread in human society. ([Related: Is rape a crime about violence and power, or a crime of passion?](http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/15293)) – DevSolar Feb 24 '17 at 15:53
  • I don't have proof of it happening. However, Orangutan males do rape females often, it's quite common in their species. If an Orangutan had access to a human female and was comfortable enough to willingly get close to human in general it is plausible that he would try to rape a human female as he would an orangutan female. The real problem is how unlikely it is for a male to be comfortable being close to humans and be in a position where he could rape one, which seems unlikely to begin with. – dsollen Feb 28 '17 at 18:44
  • I can say the opposite claim is true. I have proof of human males raping orangutan females sadly: http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/shocking-story-sex-slave-orangutan-and-her-rescue/ – dsollen Feb 28 '17 at 18:45

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