Posted by Leslie on January 17th, 2008 | 8 Comments

Over on my Jordanna Kay blog, I’ve talked a bit about the “Organutan Island” show on Animal Planet and then about how to adopt one (more on that later). So I figured I’d continue the discussion for today’s T13.

Thanks to the Orangutan Outreach site for the information below.

{Edition XIII}

Thirteen Facts about Orangutans

1. Orangutan translates literally to “man of the forest.”

2. They are extremely intelligent and can reason and think.

3. They are very similiar to humans: babies cry and whimper with hunger and pain; they expression emotions of joy, fear, anger and surprise.

4. Orangutans spend the majority of their time high up in the trees, only descending to the forest floor when they have to.

5. They once lived throughtout Asia and as far north as China. Today they are limited to a few areas in Borneo and Sumatra.

6. Numbers in the wild have gone from 12,000 in 1993 to only about 6,500 in Sumatra today. There are less than 40,000 in Borneo.

7. Males weigh 200-250 pounds, females 100-150.

8. At standing height, males are about 4 1/2 feet, females a foot shorter. Their arms are longer than their legs and a male’s span can be up to 8 feet.

9. Lifespan is estimated at 35-40 in the wild, but they have lived into their 50′s in captivity.

10. They have only one baby at a time, about every 6 or 7 years. Babies will nurse for that long. They have the longest dependence on their mother of any animal on earth!

11. Males will leave their mothers when they reach puberty. Females may stay with their mothers longer, even after she’s had another infant.

12. Their diet consists of bark, leaves, flowers, some insects and fruit – even unripe ones.

13. Organutans can make and use a variety tools, including “sponges” and “umbrellas.”

Find out how to adopt one!

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(This is my 350th blog post!)