Hilarious Close-Up Portraits Of The World's Rarest Primates Captured By Wildlife Photographer

With over 25 years of working with wildlife animals on seven continents all around the world, Mogens Trolle had a lot of contributions and studies of primates and wildlife animals to the public. He has recorded that experiences in pictures and shared them with the world. In 2020, he won the “Animal Portraits” category of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition with an image of a proboscis monkey.

'Eye Contact' is his ongoing project which focuses on hilarious close-up portraits of primates. Through the project, Mogens Trolle aims to show primates as individuals with emotions, feelings and empathy, from which he hopes to create a sensation of connection and raise public awareness of wildlife protection.

#1 Looking at clouds

A young proboscis monkey bachelor from Borneo.

Source: mogenstrolle

#2 Black-and-white snub-nosed monkey

A black-and-white snub-nosed monkey from the tall mountains of Yunnan, W China.

Source: mogenstrolle

#3 The Charmer

A male black crested macaque from Sulawesi smiling at an amorous female approaching him.

Source: mogenstrolle

#4 Mother's hand

A female proboscis monkey keeping her young in place with a gentle hand, the young studying it's mother's face to gauge her mood.

Source: mogenstrolle

#5 The zen Monkey

Red-shanked douc from Vietnam

Source: mogenstrolle

#6 Golden snub-nosed monkey

A golden snub-nosed monkey sticking its pink tongue out and creating a perfect trinity of vivid colors.

Source: mogenstrolle

#7 Mandrill in the mood

Source: mogenstrolle

#8 Self-confidence

A black crested macaque, a critically endangered and highly intelligent primate from the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.

Source: mogenstrolle

#9 One of those days

Gelada male from the high Simien Mountains of Ethiopia.

Source: mogenstrolle

#10 A young orangutan

Portrait of a young orangutan from the rainforest of Borneo.

Source: mogenstrolle

#11 Proboscis monkey

A proboscis monkey in the Wildlife category and a gerenuk in the African Wildlife category.

Source: mogenstrolle

#12 Pink warning

A gelada alpha male sends an unignorable signal to a gang of approaching bachelors to tell them that he is unto them and to warn them against flirting with his wives.

Source: mogenstrolle

#13 Braveheart

Gelada alpha male sending off a pink threat to a gang of approaching bachelors.

Source: mogenstrolle

#14 Eyes of a mother

A mother snow monkey hugs her young, covering it with her thickly furred and soft arms.

Source: mogenstrolle

#15 Two black crested macaque playmates

Two black crested macaque playmates catching a break and holding hands during a bout of play fighting after breakfast.

Source: mogenstrolle

#16 Anthropoid

Here a completely relaxed adult male in a recognizable pose with his head resting on his folded arms and bent knees.

Source: mogenstrolle

#17 Cheeky

A gelada youngster chewing on a grass straw with a look on its wrinkled face like it’s plotting some mischief.

Source: mogenstrolle

#18 Daydreaming

Orangutan youngster from the jungle of Borneo.

Source: mogenstrolle

#19 The pose

Portrait of one of the world’s coolest and most intelligent monkeys, the black crested macaque with its great-ape-like face, intense amber eyes and stylish mohawk.

Source: mogenstrolle

#20 Female black-and-white snub-nosed monkey

Female black-and-white snub-nosed monkey from the forested parts of the Himalayas. Enduring winter temperatures down to -25 degrees Celcius this is one of the hardiest monkey species. Yunnan, China.

Source: mogenstrolle

#21 Golden snub-nosed monkey

Golden snub-nosed monkey, a young male, in a peaceful moment, enjoying a warm ray of sunshine on a cold winter day.

Source: mogenstrolle

#22  Mellow male proboscis monkey

Portrait of a mellow male proboscis monkey in the mangrove greenery.

Source: mogenstrolle

#23 Cloaked

The adult gelada males are cloaked in the longest mantle in the primate kingdom.

Source: mogenstrolle

#24 Intense

The gelada with its deep-set orange eyes has the most intense looks.

Source: mogenstrolle

#25 Thumbs up

This random act of baby orangutan is just like it is posing thumbs up.

Source: mogenstrolle