DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT
Borneo and Sumatra, tropical rainforest, rarely found above 500 m asl.
BEHAVIOUR
Orangutans spend most of the day in treetops, they use only their arms to locomotion to swing from tree to tree (brachiation). They have a strong gender dimorphism, mature male body weight can reach 100kg, females are about half smaller.
DIET
Fruits, leaves, bark, flowers, insects and even small mammals. One of their favorite delicacies is the durian fruit, known for it’s very unpleasant odor. They use tools to obtain food.
REPRODUCTION
Females reach maturity at 8-10 years old, they give birth to a single infant after a gestation period of approximately 254 days. Infant orangutans completely depend on their mothers for the first five years of their lives. After 8-9 years of age, juvenile orangutan moves away from their mother.
GOOD TO KNOW
Orangutan DNA is 97% the same as humans.
Unfortunately, due to the destruction of their natural habitat through deforestation, mainly for the creation of oil palm plantations, illegal trade and hunting for commercial purposes, the abundance of this species has decreased dramatically. Between 1950 and 2010, the population of bornean orangutans decreased by more than 60%. By 2025 their populations will decrease by another 22%
- Latin name: Pongo pygmaeus
- IUCN –Red List – CR – critically endangered
- CITES – Appendix I
- EEP – European Endangered Species Programme
