What is the Life of Orangutans?

Orangutans are the great apes who rarely hang out. Except when a mother is raising her child, orangutans spend most of their time alone. Flared males will fight if they meet each other, while non-flared males will spend a short period of time together. Females can also spend time with each other, sometimes allowing their children to play together.

Female orangutans have the slowest reproductive rate of all land mammals. They start having babies when they are around 15 years old. They only have one baby every 6 to 9 years. The baby stays with the mother until the next child is born. Orangutans can live for around 60 years.

Orangutans are very intelligent creatures. They learn from each other, find ways to solve problems, and are able to make and use tools. Orangutans in captivity can even learn the form of language, choosing symbols on the computer screen to express their thoughts.

Orangutans are currently threatened with extinction. Their biggest threat comes from the destruction of their habitat forests due to commercial activities such as logging and agriculture. If this destructive trend is not stopped, conservationists estimate that the orangutan population is likely to become extinct within the next 20 years. Therefore, saving orangutans is the responsibility of all parties, from the government to the community.