Orangutans live on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. Males grow up to five feet tall and can weigh 250 pounds. Females are about half as large. Males and females tend to live apart. Their long arms, strong hands, and flexible feet help them to move slowly but easily among the tree branches.
Orangutans spend almost all of their time in the trees, eating fruit or resting in leafy nests.
Their rest is often disturbed by playful youngsters who stay with their mothers for many years. It is important for the mother to teach her young which of the abundant variety of plants in the jungle are edible. Orangutans can live about 40 years in the wild and more than 50 years in zoos. You help when you support zoos and other organizations that work to save tropical forests. Recycling and buying recycled products helps to save their habitats.