Special Sub-Topic: Orang Utan Click Here To Play: Orang Utan

What does orang utan mean?

Man of the Forest. That's as easy as they get! The original expression is Indonesian and interestingly the local people make little distinction between the orang utan and the tribal people who live in the forest.

How much, to the nearest percentage, does our DNA match that of an orang utan?

97. It was once believed that they were our closest relatives due to their ability to walk unright, but actually other apes share more of our DNA.

Orang utans, chimpanzees and the gorilla are 3 of the 4 great apes. What is the fourth?

bonobo. The bonobo is a pygmy chimp which lives in the Congo. It was once thought to be a variant of a 'normal' chimp, but they are a different species.

Which two islands are home to the orang utan?

Borneo and Sumatra.

Male orang utans from one of their island homes can be distinguished from those from the other. How?

Enlarged cheeks. The Borneo dominant males grow enormous cheek pouches which are thought to be for display. The Sumatran males do not have the pouches and have to rely on their physical size to impress!

Which of these fruits would NOT be in the natural diet of the orang utan?

Blueberry. Blueberry pie hasn't made it to Borneo and Sumatra yet!

Many young orang utans are stolen from the wild. Why?

To be kept as pets. Hideous thought isn't it? Often local people think they are doing the young animal a favour, but the animals often get abandoned after they become too large to feed and accommodate.

Where do orangutans sleep?

Nests. Orangutans may build 4 or 5 nests a day to rest or sleep in. They will never reuse a nest. Given that an adult male can weigh twice what a human can, it shows what expert builders they are.

A tragedy occured at the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehab Centre when two unfortunate apes died from consuming...what?

Insect Repellant. This was particularly sad as because these apes share food and drink, many became sick after one of their number stole a bottle from an unwary (stupid!) tourist.

True or false - orang utans are a critically endangered species.

t. They will only continue to thrive if their natural habitat isn't destroyed by deforestation.