Female orangutan portrait
I'm glad you are finding my website interesting. If you're after a specific photo or piece of information then you may find the search facility useful. And don't forget you can purchase photos online.
Hide this message
Hide this message
The Malay word orangutan means "person of the forest." These long-haired, orangish primates are only found in Sumatra and the island of Borneo.
APPEARANCE
Orangutans have an enormous armspan. A male may stretch his arms some 7 feet (2.1 meters) from fingertip to fingertip—a reach considerably longer than his standing height of about 5 feet (1.5 meters). When orangutans do stand, their hands nearly touch the ground.
BEHAVIOUR
Orangutans' arms are well suited to their lifestyle because they spend much of their time (some 90 percent) in the trees of their tropical rain forest home. They even sleep aloft in nests of leafy branches. They use large leaves as umbrellas and shelters to protect themselves from the common rains.
Orangutans are more solitary than other apes. Males are loners. As they move through the forest they make plenty of rumbling, howling calls to ensure that they stay out of each other's way. The "long call" can be heard 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) away.
Mothers and their young, however, share a strong bond. Infants will stay with their mothers for some six or seven years until they develop the skills to survive on their own. Female orangutans give birth only once every eight years—the longest time period of any animal. The animals are long-lived and have survived as long as 60 years in captivity.
FOOD
These intelligent primates forage for food during daylight hours. Most of their diet consists of fruit and leaves gathered from rain forest trees. They also eat bark, insects and, on rare occasions, meat.
CONSERVATION
Because orangutans live in only a few places, and because they are so dependent upon trees, they are particularly susceptible to logging in these areas. Unfortunately, deforestation and other human activities, such as hunting, have placed the orangutan in danger of extinction.
The clearing of forest for oil palm plantations is the greatest threat to orangutans. According to Friends of the Earth palm oil is found in approximately 1 in 10 supermarket products, including bread, crisps, margarine, cereals, lipstick, soap and much more.
There are currently around 50,000 orangutans in Borneo and 6500 left in Sumatra. Thousands die every year due to habitat destruction and the future of the orangutan is desperate.
APPEARANCE
Orangutans have an enormous armspan. A male may stretch his arms some 7 feet (2.1 meters) from fingertip to fingertip—a reach considerably longer than his standing height of about 5 feet (1.5 meters). When orangutans do stand, their hands nearly touch the ground.
BEHAVIOUR
Orangutans' arms are well suited to their lifestyle because they spend much of their time (some 90 percent) in the trees of their tropical rain forest home. They even sleep aloft in nests of leafy branches. They use large leaves as umbrellas and shelters to protect themselves from the common rains.
Orangutans are more solitary than other apes. Males are loners. As they move through the forest they make plenty of rumbling, howling calls to ensure that they stay out of each other's way. The "long call" can be heard 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) away.
Mothers and their young, however, share a strong bond. Infants will stay with their mothers for some six or seven years until they develop the skills to survive on their own. Female orangutans give birth only once every eight years—the longest time period of any animal. The animals are long-lived and have survived as long as 60 years in captivity.
FOOD
These intelligent primates forage for food during daylight hours. Most of their diet consists of fruit and leaves gathered from rain forest trees. They also eat bark, insects and, on rare occasions, meat.
CONSERVATION
Because orangutans live in only a few places, and because they are so dependent upon trees, they are particularly susceptible to logging in these areas. Unfortunately, deforestation and other human activities, such as hunting, have placed the orangutan in danger of extinction.
The clearing of forest for oil palm plantations is the greatest threat to orangutans. According to Friends of the Earth palm oil is found in approximately 1 in 10 supermarket products, including bread, crisps, margarine, cereals, lipstick, soap and much more.
There are currently around 50,000 orangutans in Borneo and 6500 left in Sumatra. Thousands die every year due to habitat destruction and the future of the orangutan is desperate.
|
Also in: Mammals of the world
 |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |  |
