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Meet the orangutan
Orangutans construct a new nest each night, sometimes with a pillow, blanket and roof, and different groups have different building traditions.
🏡 Rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra.🍽️ Mostly fruit, plus leaves, bark and insects.⏳ 35–45 years in the wild.🛡️ Critically endangered, mainly because of forest clearing — including for palm oil, timber and paper.
Friends and family
Mostly solitary, but mothers and young stay together longer than almost any other mammal.
Young orangutans stay with their mothers for up to eight years, learning hundreds of foods.
How they talk
Long calls from males carry over a kilometre through forest.
How clever are they?
Orangutans use leaf 'gloves', stick tools and even make whistles.
What they feel
Orphaned orangutans need years of care before they can survive alone.
Superpower: Rainforest gardener
By dropping seeds as they travel, orangutans plant new trees across the forest.
🤓 Did you know?
- Orangutans build a new nest every night.
- Young orangutans stay with mum for up to 8 years.
- Orangutans share about 97% of our DNA.
Living alongside people
Protecting rainforest, and checking where palm oil comes from, helps orangutans directly.