Facts about Orangutans
Orangutans are part of the great ape family. There are four kinds of great apes:
Gorillas: Chimpanzees:
 
Bonobos: Orangutans:  
Great apes are different from monkeys although they are both primates. Great apes don’t have a tail and they tend to be larger and heavier. They also have a bigger brain and can use tools such as sticks to help them get food or leaves to make a sunshade or umbrella.
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
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