The Sumatra orangutan

In Malay, “Orang” means “man” and “Hutan” means “forest”: the orangutan is indeed a large primate that lives in the trees of the rainforest. There are three species of orangutans: this one, originating from Sumatra, another, less rare, endemic to the island of Borneo, while the last one, the Tapanuli orangutan, was discovered in 2017.

The Sumatran orangutan lives for about 50 years: the male measures 1m40 and weighs 90 kg, reaching maturity around 15 years, developing powerful muscles and facial protuberances at the level of the cheeks. The female, smaller in size, usually gives birth to her first offspring around 15 years old and will care for it for years.

The orangutan is an extremely intelligent animal, capable of using branches as tools to extract termites or open fruits. It communicates through gestures rather than calls, thus using a true body language.

There are only about 7,000 individuals left in the wild: rapid deforestation, habitat destruction, and poaching unfortunately endanger this species critically.