Sumatran Orangutan
A critically endangered, tool-using great ape of northern Sumatra's forests.
via Wikipedia: Sumatran orangutan · see source
The Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) is one of three orangutan species and is classed as critically endangered. It lives only in the north of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It is scarcer than the Bornean orangutan, though more numerous than the Tapanuli orangutan, a recently described species that also lives on Sumatra. Males stand around 1.7 m and weigh about 90 kg, while females average 90 cm and 45 kg. Compared with Bornean apes, Sumatran orangutans are slimmer, with longer faces and longer, paler red hair. Around 13,846 individuals were thought to remain as of 2017.
Quick Facts
- Scientific name
- Pongo abelii
- Status
- Critically endangered
- Range
- Sumatra, Indonesia (north only)
- Male size
- 1.7 m / 5 ft 7 in, 90 kg / 198 lb
Facts from the source article.
Background
Fossils show that Sumatran orangutans living in the Pleistocene already ate a diet dominated by soft fruit, judging by wear patterns on their teeth. Today the species spends more of its time in the trees than its Bornean relative, possibly because large predators such as the Sumatran tiger roam the forest floor. It climbs using all four limbs and partial arm-swinging. As the heaviest mammals that travel through the canopy, orangutans move slowly, keep long contact with each support and spread their weight across several branches to damp their bending, sometimes even swaying trees to cross gaps. Their diet leans heavily on fruit such as figs and jackfruit, plus insects, bird eggs and small vertebrates, with much less bark eaten than on Borneo.
Did You Know?
- In 2024 a wild orangutan named Rakus was seen treating a facial wound with chewed Fibraurea tinctoria leaves.
- Orangutans have been filmed using a big leaf as an umbrella in a rainstorm.
- Infants weigh between 2 and 6 kilograms and ride with their mother until about 2.5 years old.
- Females can give birth up to 53 years of age.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do Sumatran orangutans live?
Only in the north of Sumatra, Indonesia.
How many are left?
About 13,846 as of 2017, and the species is critically endangered.
More in Endangered Species
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