Jungle and Orangutans

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Is anyone out there or does no one care?
The bribes nourish nothing but disgust and despair.
Pongo Pygmaeus may soon disappear,
From Sumatra and Borneo without even a tear.
D. Noss Jr

This week I am departing slightly from the marine theme to introduce you to one of our closer animal cousins: the Orangutan. This primate is found only in the jungles of Borneo and northern Sumatra, in the countries of Malaysia and Indonesia, although its range once stretched all the way to China.

Orangutan means ‘man of the forest’, an apt title for a beast so human-like, yet so at home high in the canopy of the tropical jungle. In fact, weighing in at 120kg they are the largest tree-dwelling species in the world. Imagine your Dad scampering up a tree as if it were an escalator, now give him a larger belly and a dinner plate sized face and you pretty much have the picture.

Unusually for primates, Orangutans are essentially solitary. They travel through small areas of jungle, building a new nest daily. These beds of twigs and leaves sit high in the jungle canopy; a safe place to rest and sleep the night. The next morning they are up and away in search of food and a new nest. Male orangutans patrol a jungle territory of about 5km2, but the females may move from territory to territory with their offspring. When the baby reaches 7 or 8 years the mother chases it away and mates again with the local resident male. Just imagine if your mum chucked you out of the house at 8 just so she could have another child!

The Orangutan’s strength is impressive, females may be four times stronger than the average man, whereas male orangutans are over 8 times stronger. This strength is matched with an equally amazing agility. They climb from tree to tree along precariously thin branches using the elastic swing of the trunks to narrow the distance between handholds.

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Comments

[paul]

monkey hands`
K, your pictures are amazing Love, P