Sumatran Orangutan
Pongo abelii
Conservation Status
Critically EndangeredMammalia · Primates · Hominidae
About
The Sumatran orangutan is one of the three species of orangutans. Critically endangered, and found only in the north of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, it is rarer than the Bornean orangutan but more common than the recently identified Tapanuli orangutan, also found in Sumatra. Its common name is based on two separate local words, orang 'people; person' and hutan 'forest', derived from Malay, and translates as 'person of the forest'.
Fun Fact
Sumatran orangutans are the most arboreal great apes — they almost never descend to the ground — and they have been observed crafting tools to extract seeds from spiny fruits that would cut bare fingers.
Quick Facts
Habitat
Tropical rainforests
Diet
Frugivore
Lifespan
35-45 years
Threats
- Wildfire
- Genetic Bottleneck
- Illegal Logging
- Poaching