Orangutans are one of the most famous and popular species of apes in the world. Scientists attribute them, along with gorillas and chimpanzees, to the number of animals closest to humans. Currently, only two species of these red monkeys are known - Sumatran orangutan and Bornean orangutan. In this article, we will consider in detail only the first of them.
Orangutan or orangutan?
Some people believe that the pronunciation and spelling of the name of this monkey is entirely reduced to one single option - “orangutan”. Even Microsoft text editors “skip” this word, while the word “orangutan” is underlined in red. However, this spelling is erroneous.
The fact is that in the language of the population living on the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan, “orangutan” is a debtor, and “orangutan” is a forest man, a forest resident. That is why preference should be given to the second variant of the name of this beast, even though some text editors still “consider” it to be incorrect.
Where does this monkey live?
Sumatran orangutan, whose photo you can see in our article, lives throughout the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan. However, the vast majority of these monkeys are found in the northern part of Sumatra. Their favorite habitats are tropical forests and the jungle.
Sumatran orangutan. View description
It is believed that these anthropoid apes have their African counterparts - gorillas. Maybe this is so, but the monkey traits in orangutans are much more pronounced than in gorillas. For example, the forelimbs of the red monkey are long, and the hind limbs are noticeably shorter than those of their African relatives. Hands and feet with long curved toes in orangutans play the role of peculiar hooks.
With the help of his crooked fingers, the Sumatran orangutan easily clings to branches and plucks delicious fruits, but we will talk about this a little later. Unfortunately, his limbs are not adapted for the most complex actions. As for the size of these monkeys, the adult males of the orangutan are inferior in size to the gorillas, and they weigh less. Sumatran orangutan, whose weight does not exceed 135 kilograms, can reach a height of only 130 centimeters.
However, if you do not compare the sizes of orangutans with the sizes of gorillas, then these are rather impressive humanoid monkeys: their arms are 2.5 meters wide and their body is massive and dense, completely covered with red hair hanging in shreds. The Sumatran orangutan, whose head has a round face with swollen cheeks, turning into a funny "beard", also makes peculiar sounds, which we will learn about later.
Why are the Sumatran orangutans “groaning”?
Researchers observing the behavior and lifestyle of Sumatran orangutans have noticed that these monkeys constantly and heavily sigh. Once, the famous zoologist and professor Nikolai Nikolaevich Drozdov, studying these animals in one of his television shows, said: “He groans like an old man in pain. But he is not an old man, and he does not hurt. He is an orangutan. "
It is curious that the throat sac in these animals swells like a ball, making squelching sounds, gradually turning into a deep throat moaning. These sounds cannot be confused with any other. You can hear them even for the whole kilometer!
Orangutan lifestyle
The average life expectancy of these animals is about 30 years, the maximum is 60 years. These red "old men" prefer to live alone. If you ever happen to meet a small group of Sumatran orangutans, then know that this is not a clan of monkeys, but only a female with her offspring. By the way, females, meeting with each other, try to disperse as soon as possible, pretending that they do not see each other.
As for the males, the situation here is, of course, more complicated. Each adult Sumatran orangutan has its own territory on which several females live at once. The fact is that the males of these monkeys are polygamous creatures and prefer to have at their disposal a whole harem. The owner of the territory with loud cries warns strangers who have wandered into his domain. If the alien is not going to leave, then the showdown begins.
This happens in a very unusual way. Both orangutans, as if on command, rush to the nearest trees and frantically begin to shake them. This resembles a real circus: the trees are shaking, the leaves are falling from them, heart-rending screams are heard throughout the district. This performance has been going on for quite some time, until one of the rivals surrenders nerves. Usually, the loser male of the Sumatran orangutan breaks his throat and gets tired.
The main part of the life of red monkeys takes place exclusively on trees. They also sleep high above the ground, having previously arranged for themselves a comfortable bed. It is worth noting that the Sumatran orangutan is a rather peaceful animal. However, as we already know, this principle does not apply to their relatives: fights for the territory between them occur on an ongoing basis.
What do these monkeys eat?
In principle, the Sumatran orangutan (photos of these monkeys usually cause a lot of impressions) is a vegetarian. So they enjoy treating themselves with mangoes, plums, bananas, figs.
Due to their incredible strength and other physical data, these monkeys quite adroitly climb the highest tropical trees of the islands for their favorite treat - mango. If, for example, the upper branches of trees are thin, a humanoid red-headed monkey of impressive size quietly sits in the middle of the crown, bending the branches to itself. Unfortunately, this is harmful to the trees themselves: the branches break and dry.
Orangutans living on the island of Kalimantan gain weight quite quickly. And all because the summer here is the most favorable time for the red "forest inhabitants". The abundance of a variety of tropical fruits allows monkeys not only to quickly grow fat, but also to store fat for the rainy season, when you have to eat exclusively bark and leaves.
Orangutan population
As already mentioned above, in nature there are two species of these monkeys: Born and Sumatran orangutan. The number of these animals over the past 75 years, unfortunately, decreased by 4 times. The main factors negatively affecting their population are:
- constant pollution of the environment;
- illegal capture of young animals and their sale.
Moreover, the population of these animals is highly dependent on the state of the tropics in which they live. That is why it is necessary to stop the widespread deforestation of the jungle and tropical forests, which leads to the death of orangutans. Currently, these monkeys are only about 5 thousand individuals. If measures to protect them are not taken in time, they can disappear from the face of the Earth forever.