Orangutan

Orangutans are apes, which means that unlike monkeys, they do not have a tail. Found in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra, they have special feet with long toes for grasping branches, and long limbs that can stretch out far so that they can move easily through the treetops.

Orangutan babies stay with their mother for 7 to 8 years to learn survival skills. Play is an important way for them to learn these skills.

Ah Meng was our own homegrown celebrity. She came to Singapore Zoo at the tender age of seven and rose to stardom in the 1980s as the gracious host of our “Breakfast with Orangutan”.

She became the first and only animal to be conferred the ‘Special Tourism Ambassador’ award. Everyone who has rubbed shoulders with Ah Meng has a story to tell. When she passed on in 2008, 4,000 people turned up to pay their final respects.