All about Orangutans
Orangutans are red -haired apes that live in the tropical rainforests of Sumatra and Borneo in Southeast Asia.
These magnificent mammals measure 1.2m to 1.5m tall and weigh up to 100kg.And they have one seriously long arm spam. Some males can stretch their arms 2m from fingertip to fingertip!
The orangutans are one of human kind’s closest relatives. In fact, we share nearly 97% of the same DNA! The word ‘orangutan’ comes from the Malay words “orang hutan”, meaning “human of the forest”.
Daytime eaters, their diet consists mostly of fruit, leaves, nuts, bark, insects and once in a while, bird eggs too!
Female orangutans give birth about every eight years. Infants stay with their mothers for six to seven year’s until they’ve learnt the necessary skills to survive on their own. During this time, a very special bond is formed between the mother’s and child
Unlike other great apes, such as chimpanzees, gorillas and bonobos, these gangly guys don’t like to live in groups. A female will usually have a baby (or two) with her, but males like to be alone.
Orangutans are noisy creatures when they want to be, making loud howls and bellows that can be heard for miles around! It’s usually the males that make these calls so that they can stay out of each other’s territory.
These amazing apes generally have long lives -in captivity they can live for 50-60 years, and in the wild, 30-40 years.
Sadly, Orangutans are today on the endangered species list. Deforestation in the forests where they live has reduced their habitat ,and illegal hunting has put populations at serious risk. That’s why we need to do all we can do all we can to help!
PLEASE HELP ORANGUTANS!!!!!!
