sumatran orangutan
Orangutans are largely solitary, unlike the other great apes, and spend much of their time foraging for fruit high up in the canopy of the rainforest. They rarely come to the ground and will build nests out of leaves and branches each night in the treetops. This ape shares 97% of our DNA, making it one of our closest relatives. They are highly intelligent. On the ground, they walk on all fours, using their palms or knuckles. They are extremely simlar to the Bornean Orangutan. The word "Orangautan" means man of the forest. They are a member of the ape family.
DESCRIPTION
Orangutans are the largest arboreal and terrestrial mammals in the world! The Sumatran Orangutan has a narrower face and longer beard than the Bornean, which is darker in colour. Sumatran Orangutans are about 1.25–1.5 metres tall. Adult males weigh up to 90kg, and females up to 50kg. An Orangutan’s arms stretch out longer than its body – over 2 metres from fingertip to fingertip. The dominant males are called plate heads.
habitat
They are only found in the northern and western Rainforests of Sumatra in Indonesia.
diet
They eat a large amount of fruit from fig trees. Large groups of Orangutans come together to feed on this.
breeding & caring for young
Orangutans after humans stay with their young the longest. They are together for 9 years. The female is pregnant for 232-267 days. That is just under a humans. The female will only give birth to one young.
threats
They are classed as critically endangered. Numbers have dropped by to 95% in the last 100 years! Their rainforest habitat is being destroyed by logging practices for homes, farms and paper production. But the main reason is for palm oil plantations. They are also hunted for the pet trade and for meat. This is what makes only 7,300 individuals in the wild! If nothing is done the population will decline by over 97% in the next 50 years! This is the most endangered Orangutan. "Sumatran Orangutans are on the road to extinction and what a sad world this is gonna be if we lose these gorgeous creatures to habitat destruction and poachers" Steve Irwin says.
conservation
Breeding programs are helping make sure that this species doesn’t disappear. There are rehabilitation centres that are for Orangutans that are been taught the skills to survive in the wild.
how you can help
- Have a Palm Oil free diet.
- Adopt a Sumatran Orangutan.
- Spread the message.
- Send letters to the government about protecting their habitat and making palm oil illegal.
- Don't buy or support any Paseo products or Paper One. Only buy FSC products or 100% recycled paper products.
image credits
en.wikipedia.org
World Wildlife Fund
World Wildlife Fund