The Orangutan (Person of the forest)
Not everyone knows so much about the orangutan, most times people get to mistake them for other apes like the gorilla and bonobo. The orangutans are quite unique because of their reddish-brown fur. in contribution to the kingdom Animalia have been reading on steam, today we will be looking at the Orangutan to learn more about them.
A BRIEF DESCRIPTION
Orangutans have a huge body, long thick arms, no tail and bowed legs. They are the most precious and great apes which spent most of its time on trees. They are very outstanding from other apes because of their reddish-brown, instead of brown or black hairs of the chimpanzees and gorillas.
The male and female differ from each other in size and looks. The male is known for their distinctive cheek pads and the long call they produce to attract females and intimidate rivals. A younger male does not resemble the adult female and does not have these characteristics. orangutans have a very strong bond which occurs between the mother and their offspring, which keeps them together for two years. the most important diet of this great apes is fruits.
However, there are two distinct types of adult male orangutans- the flanged, and the
unflanged. Flanged males have apparent cheek pads called flanges and a throat sac
used to make loud noises known as 'long calls'. Also, they have a long coat of dark hair
on their back.
The unflanged male looks like a grown-up feminine.
Both reproduce and most times an unflanged male can change to a flanged male for
reasons that are not yet fully understood.
Orangutans are the only primate with this biological phenomenon
SPECIES OF ORANGUTANS
We currently have two major species of the orangutan- the Bornean and the Sumatran.
They are quite similar but differ a little in appearance and behaviour. In appearance, the
Sumatran Orangutans have long facial hair, unlike the Bornean ones. While in character,
the Sumatran orangutans rarely move on the ground, their movement and travels are
majority done on trees, unlike the Bornean orangutans that often travel on the ground.
This is why the Bornean orangutans are said to have less social bond than the Sumatran
ones.
DIFFERENCE FROM OTHER APES
Like other apes, they are one of humans closest relative, sharing close to 97 percent of
similar DNA with humans.
Apart from its reddish-brown fur which is its major difference from other apes, Unlike
gorillas and chimpanzees, orangutans are not true knuckle-walkers and are instead fist-walkers.
They mostly give birth to a single young one, and at times twins, with an average lifespan of 60years.
The kids stay with their mother for the first 7-10 years, building a strong bond between them, and until they are able to survive on their own, they ride on their mother's body and sleep in her nest. The male virtually plays no role in raising the young. The female however often has an older offspring with her to help in making the infant adapt.
From age two or three, the young orangutan slowly drifts away from the mother and socializes with peers more often. Its climbing skills improve through a process called
'buddy travel' where it travels through the canopy holding hands with other orangutans.
COMMUNICATION AND PREDATORS
Orangutans have various means of communicating including long calls, kiss squeak and soft hoots. Infants use soft hoots to throw tantrums when distressed and tired. The
kiss squeaks are used to express anger, by sucking in air through the lips and making a kissing sound. Males make long calls majorly to attract females and showcase
themselves to other males.
Their major predators are the tigers. But often times, they also get attacks from wild dogs, leopards, and even crocodiles. Even with their big body, they still get really scared of these predators, which explains why they're majorly always on trees and rarely come
to the ground. The reason why the Bornean orangutans often travel on the ground is that there are no tigers in Borneo.
POPULATION WORRY AND FEAR OF EXTINCTION
Because orangutans are highly dependent on trees and they live in very few places, they are in danger of extinction due to human activities such as deforestation and hunting.
And then, the fact that they give birth to just a single young, in almost every 8 years, makes them vulnerable to extreme mortality. When birth rate is way lesser than the death rate, populations would take a longer time to recover from population declines.
Both orangutan species are endangered. The IUCN estimated in 2016 that around 100,000 orangutans survive in the wild, and their population is expected to further decrease to as few as 47,000 individuals by 2025. Aside from logging and deforestation, the conversion of the vast majority of tropical forest into Palmoil Plantation in Indonesia has led to a major decrease in their habitat. Palm oil
has a high international demand and can be used for varieties of purpose including cooking and biodiesel.
The killing of orangutans for bush meat, crop protection, traditional medicine, and promotion of the illegal pet-trade, is also another reason for the decline in their population. Mother orangutans are killed so their babies can be sold as the pet, and many of these infants can't
survive without their mother's help. However, some organizations, such as the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, is working so hard to ensure the rescue and safety of orangutans. Orangutan Land Trust organization works with the palm oil industry to ensure conservation areas for orangutans are established.
My thought
Image source
I'm of the opinion that the orangutans are amazing species with unique features which include the reddish-brown fur and their solitary nature. Preserving then should be a
priority for we humans, as they make up our biodiversity.
We have a huge role to play in saving these endangered animals, but first, we need to enlighten one another on the importance of preserving them and keeping the balance of nature. More efforts should be put in developing conservation reserves for these animals
that lost their habitat as a result of human activities such as logging and deforestation.
Thanks for reading!!!!
until next time!!!