There are two kinds of orangutans living today, the Sumatran and the Bornean. The name orangutan is Indonesian for "man of the forest". They call them "man of the forest" because they spend most of their lives in trees. Male orangutans can grow up to 4.5 feet tall and weight up to 160 lbs. The female orangutans are much smaller, about 80 pounds and grow to about 3 feet 8 inches tall. In the wild they live about 40 years and in captivity they can live 15 to 20 years longer because of medical care.

The Bornean and Sumatran orangutans are very different in their appearance. The Bornean orangutan usually weighs more and has dark-gray skin with orange-red hair. The hair on their back and shoulder is usually the longest hair on their body, growing as long as one foot. The male Bornean grow large cheek and throat flaps as they grow older.

The Sumatrans are usually taller and more slender and have narrower faces than the Bornean. They have mustache and beard like hair on their faces that is usually a vanilla color. Their hair is usually a lighter red. Their hair is much longer than the Bornean orangutan.

Scientists believe that the orangutan is one of the most intelligent animals on earth. They use sticks to search for foods and they have excellent skills to find the best fruiting trees in the forest. The observational skills of the orangutan is so good, the captive orangutan is known as the "escape artist".

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