Bornean Orangutan

ANIMAL:
Bornean Orangutan Pongo pygmaeus

Type of Animal:
Great Ape

Habitat:
Tropical/subtropical forest

Location(s):
Borneo

Appearance:
Reddish-orangish fur, big gray hands, males have cheek pads & are much larger than females, males have larger canine teeth than females.

Food/Diet:
Mainly fruits such as durian, mango, jackfruits, lychees, & figs. Also leaves, shoots, bark, seeds, insects, eggs, flowers, lianas, nuts, honey, fish, & small animals.

Status in Wild:
Critically Endangered

Conservation:
Breeding in zoos & wildlife centers. Rehab centers all over Borneo assisting orphaned orangutans in reintroduction to wild.

Lifestyle:
Small troops of 2-3 females & offspring, sometimes w/ a male. Many individuals are solitary. More social in captivity than in wild.

Additional Info:

Called:
Male
Female
Young-Infant
Group-Troop

Weight:
Male-198 lbs
Female-110 lbs
Young-3-12 lbs

Gestation:
7-8 months

Height:
Male-3.2 ft
Female-2.6 ft

Body Length:
Male-3.18 ft
Female-2.56 ft

Life Span: 
40 years in wild, 60 years in captivity

Adults only preyed on by crocodiles. However, young preyed on by clouded leopards, pythons, & large raptors.

Adult males often very intolerant of each other & will tear each other apart in vicious fights.

Young stay w/ mom for up to 8-10 years.

Males develop cheek pads around 12-15 years old.

Endangered due to logging, pet trade, habitat loss, deforestation, agriculture, mining, & poaching. Conversion of forest into palm oil plantations has major impact on orangutan populations.

Cheek pads of male used as megaphone to ward off other males.

Nyaru Manteng Rehab Centre set up in 1994 developed programs to rerelease orangutans into Borneo after saving orphaned babies. Nearly 700 orangs are present.

Sepilok Orangutan Rehab Centre founded in 1964 has saved orphaned babies from pet trade, poaching, plantations, & logging sites.

Orangutan Foundation International (OFI) prepares orangutans for release back into protected areas of Borneo.

Fun Fact(s):
An adult male is 7 times as strong as an adult man.

Orangutans are notorious for being good escape artists.

The name “orangutan” means “man of the forest” in Malay.

They’re fairly gentle giants unless provoked.

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