Every year on August 19th, conservationists, environmentalists and animal lovers meet to observe World Orangutan Day. The world comes together to raise awareness about the plight of the orangutans, which are among the most intelligent apes on earth, and share about 97% of their DNA with humans. But the survival of this species perturbs the whole of humanity.
Our ‘Old Man of Jungle’ The orangutan is derived from the Malay words orang, meaning “person”, and hutan, meaning “forest”, and belongs to the genus Pongo. The orangutan species are divided into three sub species - Bornean orangutan (P. pygmaeus), the Sumatran orangutan (P.
abelii) and the Tapanuli orangutan (P. tapanuliensis). Orangutans are considered a critically endangered species by the IUCN.
Orangutans are among the most intelligent primates. They use sophisticated tools and construct elaborate sleeping nests from branches and foliage in the forest each night. The orangutans display significant sexual dimorphism - males weigh up to 75kgs and stand 4ft6in tall and females weigh up to 37kgs and stand 3ft9in tall.
Ecology of Orangutans The Orangutans mainly inhabit tropical rainforests of Indonesia, Malaysia, and some parts of Borneo and Sumatra islands. They spend most of the day resting, feeding, and traveling. Tigers, clouded leopards, and wild dogs are potential predators of Orangutans.
The predicament of Orangutans Over the last few decades, the population of orangutans in the wild have plummeted. The .