WHAT IS THE ORANGUTAN?

The Orangutan is a primate just like human beings. Males of this species can grow to 200 pounds and females can grow to about 110 pounds. It is the only giant from East Asia and has a lifespan of about 50 years. It reaches sexual maturity anywhere from seven to ten years after birth and gives birth 10 months after conception. It's natural habitat includes Borneo and the tropical jungles of indonesia.



Orangutans are solitary because they must cover vast areas of forest to find food. They can walk upright for short distances just like us but their prefered mode of transportation is swinging from branch to branch. The male orangutans have a large throat sac that inables their call to be heard half a mile away so that they can define their teritory more easily. This also helps them during the mating season to find a partner in the dense vegetation.

They shelter themselves from the rain and the sun by constructing nests in the tropical trees that have leafy branches over their heads for added protection for the elements. Their diet consists of fruit, berries and other plants. Their role in the forest is to spread seeds and seedlings through the habitat. Today, many of their once populated habitats are being destroyed by clear cutting, lumber and agriculture industries. Their numbers continue to dwindle as poachers often catch and sell baby orangutans on the black markets of asia and the rest of the world. They are classified as being endangered in the wild but their numbers are stable and growing in captivity.