Bornean Orangutan: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Great Apes and Leaf Monkeys · day 1 of 7

Five facts

1. The biggest of the three orangutan species, it has a shaggy reddish coat and arms that can reach 1.5 m long.
2. It builds nests of woven branches and leaves. Some even get a leafy pillow, a blanket and a roof against the rain.
3. It is a handy tool user: leafy branches become an umbrella in the rain, and a pad of leaves lets it hold spiky durian fruit.
4. Its menu has over 400 kinds of food, from wild figs, flowers and honey to bark, mushrooms, insects and even spider webs.
5. For its first year, a baby clings to its mother's belly by twisting its fingers into her hair. It only goes fully solo at about seven.

The quiz

1. How long can a Bornean orangutan's arms be?

• 50 cm
• 1.5 m (correct)
• 80 cm
• 3 m

Its very long arms may reach up to 1.5 m.

2. What extras can a Bornean orangutan add to its nest?

• Walls made of stones
• Mud bricks
• A leafy pillow and blanket (correct)
• Bird feathers

Nests can include a pillow, a blanket and a waterproof roof made from leaves and twigs.

3. How does a Bornean orangutan use leafy branches in the rain?

• As an umbrella (correct)
• To dig a shelter
• To catch fish
• To build a raft

It holds a bunch of leafy branches together as an umbrella while travelling.

4. How many kinds of food are on its menu?

• Only 3
• About 10
• About 40
• Over 400 (correct)

Its diet includes over 400 types of food.

5. At about what age does a young orangutan become fully independent?

• About three months
• About one year
• About seven years (correct)
• About twenty years

On average, young orangutans go fully solo at about seven years old.

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