A recently divorced graduate student is offered an opportunity of a lifetime. Asked to teach an orangutan sign language to solve a murder, he finds himself in an exotic land to discover a world of ex-captive red-haired great apes of Borneo who are learning to return to the wild.

Out of the Cage recounts Shapiro's studies and adventures from field notes and memory to demonstrate the many otherwise human interactions he has had with the unique orangutan personalities he has been fortunate enough to encounter.

Orangutan personhood, great ape rights, and the many moral conundrums that the scientific community has largely ignored weigh heavy on Shapiro's mind and heart as he reflects upon his experiences with those noble persons.