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Orangutan
Photo: Nanosanchez, CC BY-SA 4.0

Rainforest · Mammal

Orangutan

Pongo pygmaeus

The orangutan is the largest animal that lives almost entirely in trees. Its name means "person of the forest" in Malay.

Where it lives
Rainforests of Borneo
Diet
OmnivoreEats plants and meat
Weight
30–90 kg
Height
1.4 m
Lifespan (wild)
35–45 years

In Pawpedia: What is a mammal?What is an omnivore?What does endangered mean?

Yaman scale

Drawn side by side with Yaman, to the same scale.

It would take about 1 of them to match Yaman's height (height 1.4 m). 0.25 m0.5 m0.75 m1 m1.25 m1.5 m Yaman · 1.5 m Orangutan · 1.4 m
Height1×= 1 Yaman

It would take about 1 of them to match Yaman's height (height 1.4 m).

Weight1.7Yamans

Around 60 kg — as heavy as 1.7 Yamans.

Common questions

Where does the orangutan live?

Rainforests of Borneo. In our zoo it lives in the Rainforest zone.

What does the orangutan eat?

It is a omnivore: it eats plants and meat.

How big does the orangutan get?

Height: 1.4 m. It weighs 30–90 kg.

How long does the orangutan live?

35–45 years in the wild.

Is the orangutan endangered?

On the IUCN Red List it is listed as critically endangered. On the edge of disappearing from the wild.

Got another question? Ask Yaman

Did you know?

  • Its arm span can be more than 2 metres.
  • It builds a fresh nest of branches to sleep in every night.
  • It uses big leaves as an umbrella when it rains.

How safe is it?

  1. LC
  2. NT
  3. VU
  4. EN
  5. CR
  6. EW
  7. EX

Critically endangered. On the edge of disappearing from the wild.

IUCN Red List

How can you help these animals?

More from the Rainforest zone

Back to Rainforest