Orangutan - Malaysian word for “man of the forest”
Order – Primates
Family – Pongidae
Genus – Pongo
Height - 1.1 -1.4m
Weight - 40 – 80kg
Life span - Up to 50 years (if they are allowed!)
The Pongo pygmaeus species mainly live in swamp and mountain areas of the Indonesian and Malaysian Borneo Rain forests. They live, eat and sleep in the lower to mid canopy of trees 6 -30m off the ground.
The Orangutans are so well adapted to living in trees, technically, they have four hands rather than two hands and two feet. They have broad, flat feet with long toes to grip branches like fingers. They have strong hands with short opposable thumbs so they can climb and manipulate food. Their legs are relatively short and weak, making it difficult to keep upright for long. For these reasons, they are quick and gracious moving through the trees but it makes moving on the ground awkward and slow going, so they rarely come down to earth.
Orangutans feed mainly on leaves and fruit, using their hand to peel fruits and strip plants. Fruit ripens on different trees at different times, because of Orangutan s intelligence and memory they plan routes to get to the fruit just as it ripens. They will also supplement their diet by eating lizards, termites, honey and bird eggs. They use their cupped hands to drink water.
They are mainly solitary apes, but communicate by lip smacking and will scream when they are scared. If they are frustrated, grind their teeth. Adult males uses a throat pouch to make calls which echo through the forest to announce their presence to females and rival males.
Orangutans reach sexual maturity about 6-8 years old, with a female having a monthly cycle like humans. Males have cheek pads which grow larger as they age – indicating their sexual maturity. They have a very slow reproductive rate and usually only have one baby every 4-8 years twins are a rarity. They mate hanging by their arms in the trees followed by a gestation period of 8-9 months. Until the infant is one it will cling to the fur on its mothers belly, then will travel on her back until it is 2 years old. Babies are nursed at their mothers breast, but can take soft food from its mothers lips at 4 month. They won’t be totally weaned until well over 3 years.
Orangutans are the most endangered of the great apes. Loss of habitat by forest fires, logging, forest clearance to make palm oil plantations and mining are destroying their habitats at a terribly frightening rate. Orangutans are “protected" by law, but this doesn’t stop mothers being killed and babies sold illegally for pets. They have an enchanting look about them, and use large leaves as umbrellas – wonderful creatures with a bleak future. A really sad note to finish on.
