Orangutan can be spelled in two ways, either Orangutan or Orang-utan. The meaning of the word Orangutan comes from the Malay word orang which means man and hutan which means forest. That combined with orang means man from the forest and utan translates into the forest. The plural form of orangutan would be orangutans. (Take a look at these fun facts about orangutans)
10 fun orangutan facts
Orangutans are amazingly intelligent primates. Some experts believe they’re just as smart as chimpanzees and gorillas. Here are some interesting orangutan facts to help you understand these fascinating creatures:
1. Orangutans make a variety of different vocalizations, including grunts, barks, screams, and hoots.
2. Orangs enjoy playing with sticks or other toys just like kids do!
3. The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute is working hard to save endangered orangutans in a conservation program called Orangutan Outreach.
4. Orangutans are primates that belong to the great ape family. They are native to South-East Asia but have been found in Borneo, Sumatra, Java, Peninsular Malaysia, Sulawesi, Kalimantan, Philippines, New Guinea, Bali, Timor, Papua, and Australia.
5. There are 5 species of orangutans, including the Sumatran, Bornean, Javan, Tapanuli, and Bintang.
6. Orangutans live in tropical rainforests. They spend about half their time in trees and use their long arms and powerful legs to move around. When they’re not in trees, they sleep on the ground.
7. Orangutans eat fruits, leaves, roots, flowers, bark, insects, birds eggs, snakes, lizards, small mammals, fish, crows, termites, honey, and nectar from various types of flowers.
8. A female orangutan can give birth to two babies at a time. These babies weigh between 8 and 10 pounds and stay with their mom until they are 1 year old.
9. Orangutans reach full maturity at 6 years old and live up to 30 years in captivity.
10 things you didn’t know about orangutans
There are many things most people don’t know about orangutans, and since they’re such fascinating animals with so much to contribute to their environment, we think you should be informed. Here are ten orangutan facts we think you’ll enjoy reading 1) Orangutans have opposable thumbs on each hand—they can use tools! 2) Orangutans walk on all fours when moving through trees. 3) When an orangutan dies, its body dries out in just three days—the skeleton is left behind! 4) The word orangutan means a man of the forest in Malay. 5) Orangutans aren't monkeys at all; they're great apes! 6) An adult male can weigh up to 300 pounds! 7) An adult female can weigh up to 200 pounds! 8) Baby orangs are born after just six months of gestation! 9) A male orangutan can weigh between 80 – and 100 kg (176 - 220 lbs) while females tend to be smaller at around 70 – 75 kg (154 - 165 lbs). 10)An adult male orangutan stands 2 meters tall (6 feet), while females average 1.8 m (5 ft 7 inches).
10 interesting human-orangutan similarities
1. We are both great apes 2. Orangutans and humans share 98% of their DNA 3. The orangutan (along with other great apes) is also known as hominoid. 4. An orangutan's arms are longer than its legs 5. The newborn, hairless, blind baby is about 12 inches long 6. In Dutch, an orangutan is called a 'Mensapen' meaning man-ape 7. There are two types of orangutans: Bornean and Sumatran 8. A group of orangs is called a troop
10 terrible ways humans have hurt orangutans
Humans have a lot to answer for when it comes to their treatment of orangutans. The wild orangutan population has been reduced by around 100,000 as a result of deforestation, poaching, and/or transportation to zoos. If these numbers seem like a huge problem, that’s because they are: there are only around 54,000 left in Borneo and only 7,500 left in Sumatra. Here are 10 terrible ways humans have hurt orangutans
10 things humans can do to help save them
Orangutans have a few unique characteristics. First, orangutans have an amazingly strong grip strength and can reach out and grab things with ease. Secondly, orangutans’ arms are longer than their legs so they sometimes walk on all fours. However, most of them prefer to walk upright on two legs instead of their fours because they can get around much faster when they do. Thirdly, many people think orangutans are very smart animals that are friendly and playful creatures. These characteristics help make up part of what makes orangutans so special but how do we know how smart they are?
