PLEASE NOTE THAT THE ORANGUTANS ARE NOT CURRENTLY ON DIPLAY

Habitat

Inhabits mainly lowland and hilly tropical rainforest

Natural behavior

Bornean orangutans occupies large overlapping home ranges. They spend most of their time in trees and build a new nest from bent branches and leaves to sleep in every night.

Description

Orangutans are the largest tree-dwelling mammals in the world. Their arms may reach 2 meters in length. Their large bulky bodies are covered in reddish brown hair and a grey-black skin. Dominant adult males are much larger than females and some develop cheek pads or “flanges”. Only flanged males have a long loud call.

Distribution

Most the Bornean orangutans remaining population is restricted to Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo.

Diet

Fruit is the most important part of their diet. They also eat leaves, shoots, honey, insects and bird eggs.

Reproduction

Orangutans are the slowest breeding of all mammal species with birth intervals of up to eight years. Females prefer dominant flanged males. Infants are carried for up to 3 years and will stay close to its mother for another 3 years.

Threats

The illegal pet trade and habitat loss. More than 80% of the orangutan’s habitat has been lost to logging, mining and mostly for palm oil plantations.