In Malay orang means “person” and utan is derived from hutan, which means “forest.” Thus, orangutan literally means “person of the forest.” Orangutans’ arms stretch out longer than their...

Threats to the orangutan 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...

Orangutan Geographical Range In the past orangutans ranged throughout Southeast Asia all the way into southern China and were found on the island of Java and in southern Sumatra....

Axonomy Orangutans are great apes, belonging to the taxonomic family “Hominidae.” Most scientists recognize two distinct species of orangutans: Pongo pygameus on the island of Borneo, and Pongo abelii...

Social Organization Orangutans are semi-solitary species but remain, to some degree, somewhat social. Flanged adult male orangutans are the most solitary of all orangutan age/sex classes. Their participation in...