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A-Z

Orangutan

Pongo pygmaeus

An adult male orangutan traveling low in
the forest

Photograph by Tim
Laman

Orangutan Profile

The Malay word orangutan means "person of the
forest." These long-haired, orangish primates, found
only in Sumatra and Borneo, are highly intelligent and
are close relatives of humans.

Orangutans have an
enormous armspan. A male may stretch his arms some 7
feet (2.1 meters) from fingertip to fingertip—a reach
considerably longer than his standing height of about 5
feet (1.5 meters). When orangutans do stand, their hands
nearly touch the ground.

Orangutans' arms are
well suited to their lifestyle because they spend much
of their time (some 90 percent) in the trees of their
tropical rain forest home. They even sleep aloft in
nests of leafy branches. They use large leaves as
umbrellas and shelters to protect themselves from the
common rains.

These cerebral primates forage for
food during daylight hours. Most of their diet consists
of fruit and leaves gathered from rain forest trees.
They also eat bark, insects and, on rare occasions,
meat.

Orangutans are more solitary than other
apes. Males are loners. As they move through the forest
they make plenty of rumbling, howling calls to ensure
that they stay out of each other's way. The "long call"
can be heard 1.2 miles (2 kilometers)
away.

Mothers and their young, however, share a
strong bond. Infants will stay with their mothers for
some six or seven years until they develop the skills to
survive on their own. Female orangutans give birth only
once every eight years—the longest time period of any
animal. The animals are long-lived and have survived as
long as 60 years in captivity.

Because orangutans
live in only a few places, and because they are so
dependent upon trees, they are particularly susceptible
to logging in these areas. Unfortunately, deforestation
and other human activities, such as hunting, have placed
the orangutan in danger of extinction.

Fast Facts

Type: Mammal

Diet: Omnivore

Average lifespan in the wild: 30 to
40 years

Size: Standing height, 4 to 5 ft
(1.2 to 1.5m)

Weight: 73 to 180 lbs (33 to 82
kg)

Protection status: Endangered

Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m)
man:

Multimedia

Photo
Gallery: Gorillas

Orangutan Printable Factsheet

Video:
Kalimantan's Orangutans

Rain Forest Animal Features

Africa's
Eden

Read how an African president created 13 new national
parks in an effort to save Gabon's wilderness from the
logger's ax in this multimedia feature.

Learn
More

Kids:
Orangutan Creature Feature

Get fun facts on orangutans, plus video, audio,
photos, and more at National Geographic's Kids site.

Explore
Kids

New
Hope in Goualougo, Congo

Go with famed primatologist Jane Goodall to meet the
chimpanzees of Congo's Goualougo Triangle in this
multimedia feature.

Learn
More

Hotspots:
Brazil

Discover how scientists are trying to save Brazil's
Atlantic forests from the rising tide of development in
this multimedia feature.

Learn
More

Phantom
of the Night

South America's jaguars are among the region's most
successful predators. Learn their secrets.

Read
More

How You Can Help

Orangutan
Foundation International

Other Primates

Mandrill

Red
Uakari

Chimpanzee

Mountain
Gorilla

Rhesus
Monkey

Ring-Tailed
Lemur

Orangutan range

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