Orangutans

Orangutans are great apes with long, reddish hair. They live in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra. These smart animals spend most of their time high up in trees. The name orangutan means person of the forest.

Tree Life

Orangutans build nests in trees every night to sleep in. They have very long arms that help them swing from branch to branch. Their arms can be longer than their bodies. They eat fruits, leaves, bark, and insects.

An orangutan holding and eating a big coconut.
An orangutan holding and eating a big coconut. (Eleifert / Wikimedia Commons)

Smart Animals

Orangutans are very smart. They can use sticks as tools to get food. Mothers teach their babies many things, like how to find food and build nests. Baby orangutans stay with their moms for up to eight years.

Fun Facts

  • Orangutans share about 97 percent of their DNA with humans.
  • An adult male orangutan can weigh more than 200 pounds.
  • Orangutans can hold things with their feet as well as their hands.

Did You Know?

Orangutans are the largest animals that live in trees.