orangutan

(the other common spellings: ‘orang-utan’, ‘orang utan’, ‘orangutang’ — for different ways of pronouncing this name, please click here & please click here)

a kind of animal – mammal – primate – belongs to the great apes – four-legged – mostly grass-eating – arboreal (= lives mostly in trees) – large bulky body with long reddish-brown hair all over the body, except on face, palms and feet, large head, face without hair, large mouth, (males have large cheek flaps, skin folds called ‘flanges’), thick neck, very long strong arms, short bow legs, no tail; size: 2½-5 feet tall, and weight: 50-100 Kg. (males much larger than females); feeds mostly (eats) on fruit and other plant matter – leaves, tree bark, and, now and then, insects and small animals; lives for 30-45 years; found originally on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra in southeast Asia

The great apes are: gorilla, orang-utan, chimpanzee, bonobo, and human; and, the lesser apes are: gibbons and siamang.

A group of orang-utans is called a ‘buffoonery’, ‘congress’ or (?) ‘clan’.

Special Features:
The word ‘orang-utan’ means “man of the forest”, and this second largest hairy ape is also known as “the old man of the woods”!

The animal experts now believe that the orang-utans are more intelligent than the chimpanzees. They can use tools and can solve simple quizzes, etc.

Orang-utans have very long and strong hands which help them to move from one branch to another in trees. Even when an orang-utan stands straight, its hands touch the ground!

They build temporary nests of leaves and branches in the trees for sleeping at night, and the most interesting feature is that they use large leaves to cover their heads and their sleeping nests to keep them dry from the frequent tropical rains!

male’s cheek pads

The males grow cheek pads, thick dark skin folds hanging from the jaws and neck, called ‘flanges’, which show their seniority and dominance!

Orang-utans have been associated with people for thousands of years. Some experts think that the ‘hairy man’ in a story from the Arabian Nights could be the orang-utan!

Several popular children and adult’s stories have orang-utans in important roles.

There are several motion pictures (films) in which the orang-utans are the lead characters.

For an interesting article on orangutans’ intelligence, please click here.