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Orang Utan (Pongo pygmaeus)

The only Asian representative of the great ape family, the Orang utan inhabits the tropical forests of Borneo and Sumatra. Despite their huge size, with adult males weighing as much as 100 kg, they move steadily and gracefully through the rainforest foraging for food. Orang utans are mainly solitary due to their need for a large feeding area, but small groups of adolescents or females with young are occasionally seen.

Orang utans are omnivorous, feeding mainly on forest fruits, shoots, leaves and tree bark, but they occasionally eat small lizards, insects and bird eggs. They are very long-lived (up to 60 years in captivity) and mature slowly, producing one infant roughly every 4-5 years. This slow reproductive rate, and the need for densely packed trees to facilitate their movement, had made them highly sensitive to habitat loss. They are also threatened by hunting for the illegal pet trade.