Bornean Orangutan

Native to Borneo, the Bornean Orangutan is one of three great ape species endemic to Asia. It is a highly intelligent species, sharing around 97% of its DNA with humans, and is the largest tree-dwelling animal alive today. However, the Bornean Orangutan travels on the ground more often than its Sumatran counterpart because there is less direct predation in its region.

Displaying a distinctive body shape, the Bornean Orangutan has a shaggy, reddish coat with matching beard and mustache, as well as long arms that can reach up to 1.5 meters in length. Taking up residence in the tropical and subtropical forests of Indonesia and Malaysia, this primate lives throughout the canopy of primary and secondary forests and scours vast distances to find trees bearing fruit.

The diet of the Bornean Orangutan is composed of over 400 types of food such as wild figs, leaves, seeds and insects; as such it is a crucial seed disperser. This species builds a new nest every night, breaking branches which allows sunlight to come through the forest and enables shorter plants that are usually shaded to increase photosynthesis.