Have you ever wondered what a day in the life of an orangutan might look like? Their lifestyle is almost unimaginably different than our own busy, screen-filled lives. David Attenborough’s latest nature documentary for Netflix, The Secret Lives of Orangutans, takes viewers deep into the jungles of Sumatra for a privileged look at these elusive great apes.

Filmed in the protected Suaq Forest, home to over 200 individually observed orangutans, the documentary treats us to stunning aerial views of the lush green canopy and swampy forest floor habitat. Featuring cutting-edge camera techniques like small drones, we see these solitary orange-furred creatures like never before. We follow several focal individuals—grandmother Friska, her daughter Ellie, and Ellie’s daughter Eden—to learn about their relationships and journey through life stages.

The film looks especially at their daily activities and social behaviors. We discover how male orangutans loudly declare future travel plans...