Orangutans can copy many human actions after seeing them just once!
Orangutans - Facts for Kids
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Facts About Orangutans For Kids
Orangutans can remember the faces of their human helpers even after being apart for many years!
Habitat & Survival
Orangutans spend about 80-95% of their time in the trees and rarely come down to the ground!
A wild orangutan might travel through an area as big as 500 football fields looking for food!
Orangutans make mental maps of when and where fruit trees will be ready to eat in their area!
Orangutans can be found in rainforests up to 5,000 feet above sea level!
An orangutan might eat from over 400 different types of plants throughout the year!
Orangutans build their sleeping nests at different heights depending on the weather, going higher when it’s windy!
Orangutans help keep forests healthy by spreading seeds from the fruits they eat through their poop!
Orangutans build their nests with a bouncy bottom of thick branches and a soft top of leafy twigs!
Orangutans sometimes use large leaves to protect themselves from both rain and strong sun!
Orangutans have been seen making simple tools out of over 50 different plant types!
An orangutan spends about 1–2 hours each day actively moving through the forest!
Orangutans usually wake up when the sun rises and go to bed about an hour before sunset!
Orangutans spend about 10 to 15 minutes each day building their sleeping nests!
Orangutans take a midday rest for about 2 hours during the hottest part of the day!
Orangutans use large leaves as umbrellas, sometimes folding them in half to make them stronger!
Orangutans build different styles of nests depending on whether it’s the rainy season or dry season!
Orangutans often stay under thick tree cover when it’s raining hard!
Life Cycle
Baby orangutans drink milk from their mothers for up to 8–9 years, longer than any other land animal!
Female orangutans usually give birth to only one baby every 8 years, making orangutans the slowest at having babies of all animals!
A baby orangutan weighs only about 3.5 pounds (1.59 kg) when born, similar to a human baby!
Young orangutans don’t leave their mother’s side until they’re at least 7 years old!
Female orangutans usually have their first baby when they’re around 15 years old!
Baby orangutans often start climbing before they can walk on the ground — usually beginning to climb at around 4 to 6 months old!
Young orangutans play lots of games with each other — like climbing races, tag, and teasing that help them practice skills they’ll need as adults!
Mother orangutans carry their babies on their bodies for the first 2–4 years—and stay close for 6–8 years — traveling together every day across their home ranges.
Baby orangutans cry when they’re upset and laugh when they’re playing, just like human babies!
Young orangutans stay within about 30 feet (9 meters) of their moms until they’re around 6–8 years old — and even closer during the first few years!
Baby orangutans learn to recognize hundreds of different plant types before they become independent!
Young orangutans start practicing how to build nests when they’re about 3 years old, but they usually won’t sleep in their own nests until they’re older!
Mother orangutans teach their babies which fruits are safe to eat by letting them watch closely and learn during mealtime!
Baby orangutans begin eating solid foods at about 6 months old but continue drinking milk for several years!
Young orangutans spend up to two years watching their mothers handle hard-to-eat foods before trying it themselves!
Diet & Feeding
An adult orangutan can eat up to about 10–11 pounds (4–5 kg) of food in a single day!
Orangutans eat over 300 different kinds of fruit throughout the year — snacking on figs, durians, jackfruit, berries, and more!
Orangutans can tell when fruit is ripe by seeing its color and smelling it — even from a distance!
Orangutans have amazing memories — they remember where their favorite fruit trees are and return when the fruit is ripe!
Orangutans sometimes eat special forest soils or lick clay — getting minerals and helping protect them from natural poisons in their food!
Orangutans can get honey from bee nests using sticks as tools, showing how smart they are at solving problems!
Orangutans spend up to 60% of their day looking for and eating food!
Orangutans get most of their water from the juicy fruit they eat, and they only drink from streams or pools when they need extra!
Orangutans sometimes wash bitter or picky foods in river water before eating them!
Orangutans remember where fruit trees are and revisit them when the fruit is ripe!
Orangutans sometimes eat tree bark, which gives them important nutrients — and during tough food times, it can make up around 10% of what they eat!
Orangutans can work for a long time to open tough fruits like durians — sometimes spending many minutes peeling and eating them!
Orangutans sometimes dip food in water or rub it clean before eating!
Social Behaviors
Adult orangutans sometimes travel together for up to 3–8 days before going their separate ways!
Male orangutans make a super loud ‘long call’ that echoes through the forest — sometimes traveling over a mile to say, “I’m here!”
