About Orangutans

Orangutans live in the Tropical Rainforests of Sumatra in Indonesia and Borneo in Malaysia. They get their name from the Malay and Indonesian words “Orang” and “Hutan”. “Orang” meaning “Person” and “Hutan” meaning “Forest” thus “Man of the Forest”.

These remarkable, gentle primates are one of our closest relatives and share 96.4% of our DNA. They are highly intelligent and have the ability to reason & to think. They also have very similar senses to our own that include hearing, sight, smell, taste and touch.

There are two species of Orangutan, the Sumatran (Pongo Abelii) and the Bornean (Pongo Pygmaeus). The two species have slightly different physical characteristics; The Sumatran Orangutans have narrower faces and longer beards than the Bornean and the Bornean Orangutans are slightly darker in colour with the males having wider cheek pads.

Orangutans are probably best recognised by their long reddish/brown hair and their long strong arms that help them to glide aimlessly through the trees. Unfortunately these long strong arms are more of a hindrance than a help when the Orangutans are down on the ground - they make walking slow & awkward and in turn dangerous.

An Orangutans life-span in the wild is around 35-40 years; this can rise into the 50´s in captivity. A female can grow to around 4ft 2inch (127cm) and can weigh up to 100lbs (45kg). A fully grown male can reach 5ft 9inch (175cm), weigh over 260lbs (118kg) and can have an arm span of about 7.5 feet (2.3m).

Of all the Great Apes the Orangutan is the most arboreal and is the largest tree living mammal in the world. They very rarely need to venture down to the ground as everything they require can be found in the tree tops - Their favourite food is fruit which makes up 60% of their diet, but they also enjoy leaves, seeds, tree bark, plant bulbs, tender plant shoot & flowers. Insects and small vertebrates can also be found in their diet.

Orangutans don´t even need to leave the tree tops for their water; they drink the water that fills the leaves of the trees and also the water that collects in the holes between the branches.

Each night, high in the tree tops - sometimes as far up as 100ft above the ground, Orangutans will build their nests from leaves and branches, where they will then curl up and sleep for the night. Sometimes, if it happens to be raining, they can be found using large leaves as umbrellas to cover themselves from the rain.

Compared to other apes, Orangutans are shy, solitary creatures and can be fiercely territorial.

Male and females tend to only stay together for a few days when mating. They can become mature and able to reproduce from around 8 years old.

When male Orangutans become sexually mature they develop many distinctive features, cheek pads knows as “Flanges” appear on both sides of their faces, their hair grows long and they develop a large throat pouch. It´s from this throat pouch that they are capable of producing a very loud impressive call that can be carried through the forest for up to a mile. The call, known as “The Long Call” helps the male claim his territory, warn other males away and makes his presence known to the females.

Female Orangutans only give birth to 4 - 5 babies in their life time, that´s once every 8 years. They are pregnant for 8.5 - 9 months and only give birth to one baby. Baby Orangutans are dependent on their mothers longer than any other animal in the world - there is so much for the young to learn in order for them to survive.

The babies nurse until they are about 6 years of age, the young males stay close for another couple of years but the young females stay until they are in their teens. This is to allow them to observe mothering skills as they watch their younger siblings being raised.