The other three species of great apes are the gorillas, the chimpanzees, and the bonobos, who all live in Africa. Orangutans live almost exclusively 100 feet up in the trees of the Asian rainforest in Indonesia and Malasia. In the wild, orangutans are mainly solitary animals and spend most of their day foraging for fruit, leaves and insects. They do enjoy each other's company though and when fruit is abundant, they will gather together to socialize. As seed dispersers, orangutans are an important part of the forest ecosystem.
Orangutans are incredibly intelligent and are highly skilled puzzle-solvers.
The reason for this is that much of their food is encased in hard shells or spiny coverings. Orangutan babies stay with their mothers for 6-9 years learning all of the skills needed to survive in the forest. They have to learn to keep a mental map of the forest to know where to find food and remember when different fruits ripen. They have to learn to get into hard shells, often making and using special tools to do it. Due to the destruction of the rainforest, as well as hunting and the illegal pet trade, orangutans are one of the most endangered primates in the world.