Facts about Orangutans

Orangutans are part of the great ape family. There are four kinds of great apes:

Gorillas:                                                           Chimpanzees:

Bonobos:                                                       Orangutans:

Orangutans live in Asia. They are found on two islands, Borneo and Sumatra and live in lowland and hilly tropical rainforests. Indigenous peoples of Indonesia and Malaysia call this ape "Orang Hutan" literally translating into English as "People of the Forest".

There are two separate species of orangutan - the Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) and the Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus). The Sumatran orangutan is smaller than its Bornean counterpart and has a longer face and lighter and longer coat.

Sumatran Orangutan:                                              Bornean Orangutan:

It is estimated that there are fewer than 7,000 Sumatran orangutans and 50,000 Bornean orangutans living in the wild today. The Sumatran orangutan is listed as critically endangered and the Bornean orangutan as endangered.

Orangutans are highly intelligent with an ability to reason and think. This large, gentle red ape is one of our closest relatives, sharing 97% of our DNA.

The orangutan is regarded as an "umbrella" species. Its arboreal tree-swinging journeys help to spread tree seeds - in fact some trees can only germinate when they have passed through its gut. The orangutan is pivotal in creating the necessary environment for the thousands of fauna and flora which make up the biodiversity of the South East Asian rain forest.

To read more click on the links below:

Biology

Behaviour

Diet
 

Photo credits: Gorilla:Mila Zinkova; Chimpanzee:Thomas Lersch; Bonobo:USAID; Orangutan:Karen Stenner

10 March 2010
It is no secret that orangutans are threatened with extinction because their rain forests are being destroyed at an alarming rate. Ten years ago, Shawn Thompson, a writer, former journalist and university professor, set out to chronicle the threat to orangutans in a book released in March 2010. Read Article »

10 March 2010
Research into the long calls of male Orangutans in Borneo has given scientists new insight into how these solitary apes communicate through dense jungle. Read Article »

2 March 2010
'Environmentally-friendly' biofuels have been found to be more harmful to the planet than normal fossil fuel. Read Article »

22 February 2010
BBC documentary shows Indonesian company clearing protected rainforest.

18 February 2010
Gorillas, orang-utans and a cyanide-eating lemur are among the world’s 25 most critically endangered primates, scientists have said. Read Article »

5 February 2010
The European Commission and some EU member states hope to redefine palm oil plantations as "forests," according to a leaked document from the EU executive. Read Article »

26 January 2010
Project to create sustainable palm oil project undermined by Western firms

25 January 2010
Payments to developing countries to reduce emissions from deforestation will only succeed if corruption and lack of financial management capacity are addressed, says new report. Read Article »