Person of the forest
Orangutan means person of the forest in Malay.
Asian jungle
Bornean orangutan
Pongo pygmaeus
A big, shaggy, orange ape with very long arms. Grown males have wide cheek pads.
- Size
- About 1.4m tall, with arms spanning over 2m
- Look for it
- All year round
- Where
- Rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra
Shuffles after you on its fists and feet. Move your pointer and see.
When to look
Orangutan
Good to know
Six things about the orangutan
Arms longer than legs
Its arms can span more than two metres, far longer than its body is tall.
A life in the trees
It is the biggest animal that lives in trees, and rarely comes down to the ground.
A new bed each night
Every evening it bends branches into a fresh nest, sometimes with a roof of leaves against the rain.
A long childhood
A young orangutan stays with its mother for seven or eight years, learning what to eat and where to find it.
Tool users
Orangutans use sticks to get honey and insects, and big leaves as umbrellas and gloves.
The real thing
Photos of the orangutan
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Photos are from Wikimedia Commons, used under the free licences shown. They have been resized, and cropped where they appear in link previews.
How to spot one
Look up for swaying branches and falling fruit skins. Rehabilitation centres in Borneo, such as Sepilok, let visitors watch them at feeding time.
How to help
Orangutans are critically endangered, mainly because forest is cleared for palm oil. Look for products made with certified sustainable palm oil.
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