Appearance: There are two types of Orang-utans and they have some similarities and differences. The Borneon orang-utans are red brown, while their Sumatran cousins are paler, with a more gingerly color. Borneon orang utans also have coarser hair.

The Borean male also has large distinguished cheek pads, a tremendous laryngeal sac and a square shaped face while their male cousins do not have the protruding cheek pads and are often characterized by a ginger colored mustache and a diamond shaped face.

(The laryngeal sac, when inflated, increases the resonance and tone of the male Orangutan voice, producing the commonly noted "long call". This "long call" sounds like a loud roar and plays an

important role in repelling male rivals and in advertising their availability to sexually receptive females.)

Behavior: This large ape moves easily through the treeswith its strong arms that is known to span upwards of eight feet across. It swings from branch to branch with ease, thanks to its very long arms. It's arms are so long that they reach the animal's ankles when it is standing up. The orangutan can climb to the top of the highest tree of the rainforest. On the ground, it nearly always moves on all fours, unlike the chimpanzee, which usually walks on its hind legs.

Orang-utans feed by moving in the canopy but the males freguently come to the ground to travel longer distances. However, the female of the species virtually never leave the trees. These creatures live a nomadic lifestyle depending on food availability. They have a solitary lifestyle unlike other species of monkeys or apes that live in groups.

Every evening, the orangutan makes a different nest out of leaves. The nest looks like a soft platform and is often placed in a tall tree. To protect itself from rain and sun, the orangutan puts large leaves on its head. Sometimes it even winds leaves completely around its head and neck.

Diet: The Orang-utan is an omnivore. It feeds on fruit, bark, leaves, and insects like ants, termites, and bees.

Reproduction: Unlike other primates, orang-utans breed more slowly, with the female producing a baby on average of once every 7-8 years. This makes the population extra-vulnerable to loss and accelerates the decline in numbers.

Why is it endangered: Because of their low birth rate, environmental pressures, human encroachment on their habitat and indiscriminate hunting, the orang utan population has declined rapidly this century. It is estimated that there might be only 20,000 to 27,000 orang-utans out in the wild today.

Conservation: The best place to see orang utans in Sarawak is Semenggok Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, where animals that have been orphaned or illegally kept as pets are trained to survive in the wild.

Orangutans are the most silent of all apes. They grunt and smack their lips once in awhile. Occasionally, an orangutan will make a sound similar to a lion's roar, which is thought to be a way to tell other apes of its group where it is. If it is disturbed by humans, it shakes branches and makes all the noise it can.