Basic facts

The name orangutan comes from the Malay words "orang" - human, and "hutan" - forest. Orangutans have often been confused for wild humans. Orangutans currently only inhabit Borneo Island and a small part of Sumatra Island. However, fossil evidence indicates that their past distribution included much of Southeast Asia.

Physically, orangutans have a thin, shaggy coat that is reddish brown in color. They have short, weak legs, but strong hands and arms. A fully-grown orangutan is about 1.5 meters tall, or just slightly shorter than a human. Their arms have a spread of about 2.2 meters. Female orangutans weigh about 30-50 kg, while males are from 50 - 90 kg. Dominant males also have large cheek pads, which continue growing for much their lives.

A young orangutan clings to its mother's abdomen by entwining its fingers in and gripping her fur until it is a year old, then it begins to ride on her back, which it may continue to do until 2.5 years of age. An infant will scream loudly if separated from its mother. Maturity is achieved at 7 years for females, while males reach maturity at about 14 years of age. Female orangutans will wait at least 4 years between having children, and it can be longer if conditions are poor. Maturity is achieved at 7 years for females, while males reach maturity at about 14 years of age.

Their diet consists mainly of fruit, especially figs. In fact, figs ripen at different times in the year, and the movement pattern of the animals can largely be explained by their following this process. Orangutans will also eat other kinds of vegetation, such as leaves, bark, buds, and flowers. Occasionally, they will also eat mineral-rich soil, insects, and even eggs and small vertebrates. They drink by reaching into tree holes and lapping water from their hands.

Is time running out?

Unfortunately, the orangutan is a seriously endangered species. It has declined in both range and numbers for many years and is now in danger of becoming extinct. Humans are the overwhelmingly major threat. Much of their habitat is clear cut, primarily for logging, and also agriculture. The orangutans' survival is constantly threatened by forest fires, felling of trees, and illegal hunting. There are only approximately 15,000 orangutans left in the wild.

Humans have a long history of hunting this particular primate for various reasons, more recently for exhibition in zoos. Many people keep them for pets, at while they are young. It is estimated that at least 3 orangutans die for each one that is successfully captured and transported. The capture and sale of baby orangutans especially is a worldwide problem, a practice that continues despite the many government and non-government organizations created to eliminate the exploitation of endangered wildlife.

Here are locations of orangutan rehabilitation centers helping former pets survive in the wild.
(from http://www.yorku.ca/arusson)