orang-utan

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Large ape found only in Borneo and Sumatra. Up to 1.65 m/5.5 ft in height, it is covered with long, red-brown hair and lives a largely solitary life in the trees, feeding mainly on fruit. Now an endangered species, it is officially protected because its habitat is being systematically destroyed by deforestation. In 1998 there were fewer than 27,000 orang-utans in the wild, with an estimated 5,000–7,000 in Sumatra, 3,000–5,000 in Sabah (northeast Borneo), and 12,000–15,000 in Kalimantan (Indonesia). (Species Pongo pygmaeus.)

There are two subspecies: P. p. pygmaeus found in Borneo, and the smaller P. p. abelli on the island of Sumatra. Their rate of reproduction is very slow, with an eight-year gap between births. Orang-utans are slow-moving and have been hunted for food, as well as by animal collectors. The name means ‘man of the forest’.

Black, green, and yellow are the African National Congress (ANC) colours. Red, white, and blue are the colours of the former Dutch republics. Effective date: 27 April 1994. >>