Sumatran Orangutan

Pongo pygmaeus abelii

Orangutan means “person of the forest” and is a fitting name for a primate that is happy to spend its day hanging out in the treetops. The only truly arboreal ape, the orangutan is also the largest tree-dwelling animal. The big ape is too heavy to jump from tree to tree so when it needs to cross a gap in the canopy, it will sway the tree back and forth until it can reach out with its long arms and grab a neighboring tree with its hook-like hands. As a large animal with a hefty appetite for fruit, the red ape’s survival requires the protection of large areas of forested habitat.

  • High up in the trees, the orangutan is safe from its main natural predator, the tiger.
  • An orangutan can spend an entire day gorging on fruit in a single tree.

Fact File

species at risk Species Survival Plan
  • Pronunciation: oh-RANG-oo-tan
  • Height: 3.8 to 4.5 ft
  • Weight: Male - 130 to 200 lbs;  Female - 88 to 110 lbs
  • Lifespan: Up to 35 yrs in wild
  • Habitat: Tropical rainforest
  • Diet: Fruit, shoots, bark, insects, vines, bird eggs, and small vertebrates
  • Status: Species at Risk (IUCN—Critically endangered)

Orangutans In Action

  • Orangutan
  • Orangutan
  • Orangutan
  • Orangutan

Big Brains:

Orangutans are highly intelligent, able to fashion tools, solve puzzles, and operate computers.

Range:

Northern Sumatra

Meet a Zookeeper

Join the primates' zookeepers for a conversation at Jungle Trails at 11:00am (Thursday and Friday) and 1:45pm (Saturday and Sunday) through the end of October.