Lifespan
35 to 40 years in the wild
Up to 60 years under human care
Lifespan
Up to 60 years under human care
Diet
Also leaves, barks, flowers and insects
Habitat
Arboreal, lives in trees
Range
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.
Seizes every chance to enjoy a piggyback ride on adult orangutans
Has a habit of snatching food from his group members
Often refuses to go back to his night quarters
Enjoys the attention of his keepers
Loves to tease other orangutans by pulling their fur
Both the Sumatran and Bornean orangutans are critically endangered – the latter was reclassified recently, from endangered status to reflect the magnitude of threats from habitat loss and illegal hunting.
Managing orangutan populations in zoos ensures the survival of the species. It also allows members of the public to appreciate and learn more about them, and hopefully with emotional connection, comes the desire to protect these 'men of the forest’.
Critically Endangered
At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species.
Unknown risk of extinction
At relatively low risk of extinction
Likely to become vulnerable in the near future
At high risk of extinction in the wild
At very high risk of extinction in the wild
At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild
Survives only in captivity
No surviving individuals in the wild or in captivity