Only 1 out of 6 orphans are lucky enough to be rescued
Over 1,000 orphaned orangutans are living in rescue and rehabilitation centres.
Hold on tight we’re about to swing through the trees to meet one of nature’s coolest creatures! ❤️
1) Orangutans are red-haired apes that live in the tropical rainforests of Sumatra and Borneo in southeast Asia.
2) These magnificent mammals measure 1.2m to 1.5m tall and weigh up to 100kg. And they have one seriously big arm span – some males can stretch their arms 2m from fingertip to fingertip!
3) The orangutan is one of humankind’s closest relatives – in fact, we share nearly 97% of the same DNA! The word orangutan comes from the Malay words “orang hutan“, meaning “human of the forest“.
4) Orangutans spend most of their time up in the trees, where they use their long, strong arms and hook-shaped hands to climb and swing from branch to branch. Come bed time, they sleep in leafy nests high off the ground, where it’s harder for hungry enemies (such as leopards and other big cats) to get them!
5) Daytime eaters, their diet consists mostly of fruit and leaves – but they also eat nuts, bark, insects and, once in a while, bird eggs, too.
Limited nutritional information exists on diets of free-ranging orangutans, Pongo abelii and P. pygmaeus.
Although they are classified as frugivores, the chemical composition of their diet and their gastrointestinal anatomy suggest that they rely on fibre fermentation for a substantial portion of energy.
However, the extent to which they can ferment fibre is not known.
Continuous culture systems, inoculated with orangutan faecal bacteria, were established to determine the fibre-digesting capacity of orangutan hindgut microflora.
6) Female orangutans give birth about once every eight years. Infants stay with their mother for six to seven years, until they’ve learnt the necessary skills to survive on their own. During this time, a very special bond is formed between the mother and child.
7) Unlike other great apes, such as chimpanzees, gorillas and bonobos, these gangly guys don’t like to live in groups. A female will usually have a baby (or two) with her, but males like to be alone.
8) Orangutans are noisy creatures when they want to be, making loud howls and bellows that can be heard for miles around! It’s usually the males that make these calls so that they can stay out of each other’s territory.
9) These amazing apes generally have long lives – in captivity they can live for 50-60 years, and in the wild, 30-40 years.
10) Sadly, orangutans are today on the endangered species list.
Deforestation in the forests where they live has reduced their habitat, and illegal hunting has put populations at serious risk.
There’s an ugly truth to the beauty products we slap on our faces and an unsavoury truth to the foods we eat:
Many are made with palm oil, which is responsible for the rapid deforestation of some of the world’s most biodiverse forests, destroying the habitat of already endangered species of the orangutan.
Another reason to DIY beauty products. ❤️
All adoption money goes directly to helping orphans at the care centres we support and providing opportunities for a safe return to protected forests.
For a small monthly sum you can make a real difference and help these orphaned orangutans survive.
Orangutan adoptions are tax deductible in Australia and the USA.
The Orangutan Project is a dynamic, fast-growing and successful not-for-profit organisation that supports a wide range of critical projects that address the holistic problem facing remaining fragmented orangutan populations – including fighting deforestation and habitat loss at the highest level.
Orangutan Adoption Program ❤️
Swing by wwf.org.uk/adoption to find out how you can adopt an orangutan and help to protect their future! ❤️
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