Facts
The word “orangutan” comes from the Malay language, meaning “man of the forest.” The orangutans (also spelled orang-utan, orangutang, or orang-utang) are three extant species of great apes native to Indonesia and Malaysia. Orangutans are currently only found in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra. Classified in the genus Pongo, orangutans were originally considered to be one species. From 1996, they were divided into two species: the Bornean orangutan (P. pygmaeus, with three subspecies) and the Sumatran orangutan (P. abelii).
Bornean Orangutan
The Bornean orangutan differs in appearance from the Sumatran orangutan, with a broader face and shorter beard and also slightly darker in color. Three subspecies are recognized, each localized to different parts of the island:
Population
Max Height (ft)
Max Weight (lbs)
Avg Lifespan
The Threat to Orangutans
The destruction and degradation of the tropical rain forest, particularly lowland forest, in Borneo and Sumatra is the main reason orangutans are threatened with extinction. This has been caused primarily by human activity (intense legal logging, illegal logging, conversion of forest to palm oil plantations and timber estates, mining, clearing forest for settlements, and road construction) and also by large-scale fires facilitated by the El Nino weather phenomena. Additionally, the illegal animal trade has been a factor in the decline of wild orangutan populations. Finally, orangutans are occasionally hunted and eaten by some of the indigenous peoples of Borneo as well as migrant loggers and plantation workers who do not have dietary prohibitions against eating primate bushmeat.
“Only if we understand, can we care. Only if we care, we will help. Only if we help, we shall be saved.”Jane Goodall
See how you can helpHow you can help
Here are some of the ways you can help:
Volunteer
Volunteer with orangutans on this award-winning orangutan project at Matang Wildlife Centre in beautiful Borneo! Learn More
