Life in the Trees: The orangutan (which means "person of the forest" in Malay) spends most of its life in the forest canopy. Only males will occasionally descend to the ground. Its limbs are long and flexible. The feet of an orangutan have the ability to grasp branches, making movement through the treetops effortless. Almost all its food can be found among the branches and rain-filled leaves supply water.
Great Ape of Asia: Of the four great apes — gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos and orangutans — only the orangutan makes its home in Asia; the others come from Africa.
Males and Females: Both male and female orangutans are reddish-brown, a unique color in the great ape world. Males can weigh over 200 pounds and are much larger than females. Males also grow distinct cheek pads, which grow larger as the animal ages. A reddish beard sprouts from the chin and long hair hangs from its arms like a cape. A throat sac is used to make its "long call," a warning to intruders and an advertisement to females.
