Sumatran orangutan
Pongo abelii
About
Orangutans are the only non-African ‘Great Ape’. They once lived all over Asia but now only exist on Sumatra and Borneo. They live in tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests in the lowlands as well as mountainous areas up to an elevation of 1500m on the island of Sumatra, Southeast Asia.
Sumatran orangutans differ from their Bornean relatives in several ways. Sumatran orangutans are a lighter orange – cinnamon colour and are more slender in build. In male Sumatran orangutans, they have flatter check flanges (cheek pads).
Pregnant orangutans carry their baby for almost as long as a human – seven and half to eight and half months. Twin births are unusual so it’s normally a single baby which is born. From then on, it will be six or seven years before that baby will stop being nursed by its mother. That’s the longest nursing period of any land-dwelling animal, including humans.
Sumatran orangutans are surprisingly graceful and agile when they move. In the wild they sway from tree limb to tree limb (the technical term is an orthograde clamber).
Sumatran orangutan facts
Threats
Orangutans are the only non-African great ape. They once lived all over Asia but now only exist on Sumatra and Borneo.
Now, the biggest threat in the wild is the loss of their habitat to palm oil plantations and we’re at the forefront of the battle to save them. We’re working alongside our partners in South East Asia to protect these amazing apes from extinction.
Human intervention
Hunting or collection
Climate change & severe weather
