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ORANGUTAN

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Of the three great apes the orangutan, the chimpanzee, and the gorilla, the orangutan is the only one to live outside Africa. Hidden in the dense tropical rainforests which are its home, it is also unique among apes for being truly forest-dwelling.

HABITS

The orangutan lives a solitary life in the treetops of the rainforest. With the exception of adult males, orangutans rarely descend to the ground. The orangutan is a diurnal animal that is, active during daylight hours. At night, females and youngsters sleep in a nest of braches placed in the fork of a tree. Because males are heavier, they generally prefer to sleep on the ground. All orangutans sleep on their sides with their arms cushioning their heads. At daybreak, orangutans leave their nests and search for food.

Orangutans are far less sociable than other apes and do not live in large social groups. Adults males are particularly solitary and stake out areas of forest which they defend as their own territories, fighting other males who intrude if necessary. Females occasionally group together loosely with their young.

BREEDING

A dominant male orangutan may have large breeding territory and mate with several females. Mating occurs year-round and females give birth to a single offspring every 3-6 years. A baby orangutan grows very slowly. It may become somewhat independent at 3 years of age, but it will stay with its mother until she gives birth again.

Because female orangutans do not mate again until an offspring is at least 3 years old, they may only succeed in raising two to three young in a lifetime.

FOOD & FEEDING

Fruit, nuts, leaves, bark, insects, and eggs form the diet of an orangutan. When the food supply in a particular area is plentiful, an orangutan may remain in one place for a period of time to feed. Although several orangutans may feed from the same tree, there is little social interaction or competition among them.

Orangutans, like the other apes, appear to be highly intelligent. They have the ability to memorize the geography of their surroundings and will travel great distances to find trees that ripe fruit.

When orangutans are thirsty, they locate a hollow in tree where water has collected from past rainstporms.

KEY FACTS

Size

Height: Male, 4 feet. Female 3 feet.

Weight: Males, 130-200 lb. Females, 90-110 lb.

Breeding

Sexual maturity: 8-10 years.

Mating: Year-round.

Gestation: 260-270 days.

Number of young: Usually a single young; twins are rare.

Lifestyle

Habit: Diurnal and mainly solitary.

Diet: Tropical fruits, leaves, shoots, bark, insects, and eggs.

Lifespan: Average 35 years.

DID YOU KNOW?

Because the orangutan spends most of its life in trees, its arms are longer and stronger than any other ape's.
Centuries ago, orangutans were much larger than they are today. Fossil remains show that a species of giant orangutan existed in China 500,000 years ago.

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