Have you ever wondered what does the name orangutan mean?
Source: Microchips Australia
The word orangutan is made of of two words: “orang” meaning man, and “utan” meaning forest. Put together, orangutan simply means “man of the forest” in the Malay language.
Holding true to its name, the orangutan shares 96.4% of the human DNA, being amongst one of our closest relatives in the animal kingdom!
The orangutan is a very special red ape. In fact, it is the only primarily red arboreal ape that happens to be the largest tree-climbing mammal on Earth. In fact, some people may consider the orangutans to have 4 hands, instead of 2 hands and 2 feet. Other great apes do climb, travel and build nests in the trees to sleep, but tend to spend a large portion of their lives on the ground.
While orangutans to be agile in manoeuvring their way through the forest canopies, their slow and awkward walking makes it a substantial drawback for them to be on the ground. Interestingly, some people may consider the orangutans to have 4 hands, instead of 2 hands and 2 feet.
Source: World Wildlife Fund
Another notable difference between the orangutans and the other Great Apes lies in its partial solitary lifestyle. Orangutans seldom live in large groups; females are often accompanied by 2 offsprings, and males and females often only meet up during the mating season. This is thought to be the result of evolutionary pressures from the unpredictability of available food.
For more information on orangutans, click on the links below to find out more:
Fun fact: Did you know that of the 4 types of great apes (gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos and orangutans), the orangutan is the only great ape is that can be found in Asia? The others all come from Africa.