male Orang Utan
by Rudi Prott
Title
male Orang Utan
Artist
Rudi Prott
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Orangutans are great apes native to the rainforests of the Indonesian islands of Borneo and Sumatra. Classified in the genus Pongo, orangutans are divided into ttree species: the Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus), the Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) snd identified in 2017 a third species: the Tapanuli orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis).
The most arboreal of the great apes, orangutans spend most of their time in trees. They have proportionally long arms and short legs, and have reddish-brown hair covering their bodies. Fruit is the most important component of an orangutan's diet; but they will also eat vegetation, bark, honey, insects and bird eggs. They can live over 30 years, both in the wild and in captivity.
Orangutans are among the most intelligent primates. They use a variety of sophisticated tools and construct elaborate sleeping nests each night from branches and foliage. The apes' learning abilities have been studied extensively. All three orangutan species are considered critically endangered. Human activities have caused severe declines in populations and ranges. Threats to wild orangutan populations include habitat destruction and deforestation (for palm oil cultivation and logging) and the illegal pet trade.
Copyright by Rudi Prott.
Uploaded
September 10th, 2013
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