About Kalimantan: The Orangutan

Orangutans are large apes that live in southeast Asia (on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra). These apes mostly live in trees (they are arboreal) and swing from branch to branch using their arms. The word orangutan means "human of the forest" in the Malay language. As its habitats are being usurped by humans, the orangutan's population is decreasing and it is in grave danger of extinction. Some information says the population is less then 20.000 in the world. 

Anatomy 

Orangutans have a large, bulky body, a thick neck, very long, strong arms, short, bowed legs, and no tail. Orangutans are about 2/3 the size of the gorilla. They are mostly covered with long reddish-brown hair, a large head with a prominent mouth area. Adult males have large cheek flaps (which get larger at ages). Orangutans have senses very similar to humans, including hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch. Their hands and feet are the same as humans, they have four long fingers plus an opposable thumb. Their feet have four long toes plus an opposable big toe. Orangutans can grasp things with both their hands and their feet. The largest males have an arm span of about 7.5 feet (2.3 m). The body weight is between the 50 and 90 kg and they are omnivores (they eat both plants/fruit and animals) but are mostly herbivorous (plants comprise most of their diet). They eat fruit (their favorite food), leaves, seeds, tree bark, plant bulbs, tender plant shoots, and flowers. They also eat insects and small animals (like birds and small mammals). Orangutans don't even have to leave their tree branches to drink, they drink water that has collected in the holes between tree branches. Orangutans usually move by swinging from one branch to another; this is called brachiating. Orangutans can also walk using their legs (but rarely do). Orangutans do not swim. They can have a age up to about 50 years, And live in Tropical Rainforest Areas. Actually there is a small difference between the Orangutans from Borneo and Sumatra and some say they can be separate in two subspecies of Orang Utans, the Pongo pygmaeus pygmaeus (From Borneo, with a round face and dark red hair;) and the Pongo pygmaeus abelii (From Sumatra, with a narrow face and paler hair), but they are genetically similar enough to interbreed. 

Intelligence Language

 

Orangutans are very intelligent. They have been known to use found objects as tools; for example, they use leaves as umbrellas to keep the rain from getting them wet. They also use leaves as cups to help them drink water. 

Behavior and Social Habits

 

Orangutans are shy, solitary animals that are active during the day (they are diurnal). They live alone in large territories. This is probably due to their eating habits; they need a large area in order to get enough food and too many orangutans in one area might lead to starvation. The only long-lasting orangutan social group is the mother and offspring, who live together for about 7 years. When mating, the male and female orangutan stay together for only a few days. 

Sleeping Platforms: 

Each day, orangutans construct a new "nest" in the tree branches for the night in which they will curl up and sleep. These nests are made out of leaves and branches. Nests are shared by a mother and her nursing offspring. Sometimes, the orangutan will use a leaf as a "roof" to protect itself from the rain. Orangutans often nap in the afternoon after a morning spent obtaining food. 

Communication And Vocalization 

Male orangutans are capable of very long, loud calls (called "long calls") that carry through forests for up to 0.6 mile (1 km). The "long call" is made up of a series of sounds followed by a bellow. These calls help the male claim his territory, call to females, and keep out intruding male orangutans. Males have a large throat sac that lets them make these loud calls. 

Reproduction And Baby Orangutan 

Orangutans are mature and capable of reproducing beginning when they are 7 to 10 years old. Females are pregnant for 8.5 to 9 months and give birth to a single baby. Young orangutans are weaned from their mothers at about 6-7 years of age. 

Natural Enemies

 

The animal that poses the biggest threat to the orangutan is man (who uses its habitat and sells young orangutans as pets). 

Population

 

Orangutans are an endangered species. They are decreasing in numbers quickly as they lose habitat to people. Further aggravating the problem, baby orangutans are caught and sold around the world as pets. 

Tourism Areas to Spot

 

At Kalimantan there are several National Parks where Orangutans can be spot “easily”. Tanjung Putting National Park, at Central Kalimantan, here you can find them around Camp Leakey Rehabilitation Centre, Here they are the most easily to spot, as they are common with humans, feeding could be done. This is different with Kutai National Park at East Kalimantan, where they live much more wild in their habitat, but with some assistance of rangers and guides, mostly the Orangutan can be seen. Tangiling Reserve at Central Kalimantan is an other good spotting place for Wild Orangutans, a bit north of Palangkaraya City, cruising up the Kahayan River. Sungai Wain Reserve at East Kalimantan is a new National Park with about 200 wild Orangutans from the Wanariset Rehabilitation Center, easily to reach from Balikpapan in less then a hour. 

Source:geocities.com/degigant/Orang_Utan.html