Biology

An orangutan's lifespan is about 35-40 years in the wild, and sometimes into the 50's in captivity. They reach puberty at about 8 years of age.

When the males become sexually mature they develop many distinctive physical features. Fleshy cheek pads form on both sides of their face and a high, fatty crown on their head. Their hair grows long and a beard develops on their faces.

They have an impressive call that they produce with the aid of their laryngeal sac (found under their chin). This is called the "Long Call" and is used to locate and advertise their presence to females or warn other males away.

A male orangutan can weigh over 90 kilograms and a female up to 50 kilograms. They are thought to be four to seven times as strong as an adult human male.

Orangutans’ arms are longer than their legs and when stretched out, their arm span is longer than their body. An orangutan’s arm span can be up to 2.3metres!

The orangutan has the longest childhood dependence on a mother of any animal in the world, because there is so much for a young orangutan to learn in order to survive. The babies nurse until they are about six years of age.

The young males may stay close by their mothers for a few more years but as they mature, they will travel long distances, paying little attention to other orangutans that they meet.

The females may stay close to their mothers until they are into their teens, allowing them to observe mothering skills as they watch their younger sibling being raised.

Orangutan females only give birth about once every 8 years - the longest time between births of any mammal on earth. (This results in only 4 to 5 babies in her lifetime.) This is why orangutan populations are very slow to recover from any disturbances.

To read more go to:

Orangutan Facts

Behaviour

Diet

Photo credits: Karen Stenner, Fleur Butcher

15 July 2010
Why should we protect the orangutan? It is a frequently asked question when lay-people, including businesspeople, discuss the need to protect orangutans, Asia's only great ape, which is greatly endangered. Read Article »

23 June 2010
If an orangutan blows a raspberry, smacks you on the side of your body or gives you a nip on the arm, don't worry. Read Article »

21 June 2010
Some New Zealand food companies are being slippery about whether they use palm oil, according to a Green Party survey.

6 June 2010
Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) Australia and its Indonesian counterpart have secured a 112,000 hectare site in Kalimantan, Indonesia for the release of rehabilitated orangutans.

27 May 2010
Indonesia will introduce a two-year moratorium on deforestation to help tackle climate change, the country's president has said. Read Article »

28 May 2010
United States congressman Earl Blumenauer has called on the Australian Government to legislate to ban illegal timber imports into Australia.

27 May 2010
Cash-strapped Indonesia remains committed to protection of its rainforests as part of the global initiative to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) Plus scheme, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono says.

27 May 2010
Indonesia will honor palm oil companies' existing contract despite its pledge to suspend new concessions to clear the nation's natural forests and peat lands for two years, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono says.