Research Paper

Borneo island is one of the homes to the Bornean Orangutan monkeys. But unfortunately these cute red haired creatures are on the verge of extinction. You might think we can live without these monkeys but we can't. Orangutans are really important to the ecosystem. If they were extinct lots of tree species would become extinct too. Orangutans are important to the ecosystem because they help spread lots of seeds. Every time they eat fruit from trees they throw the seeds on the ground and new trees grow. If they were to be extinct there wouldn't be as many trees in the borneo island rainforest. If there aren't many trees there the oxygen levels will also go down. Killing these animals will have a big negative impact on the Borneo island.

Description

The Bornean orangutans' common name is Orangutans and its scientific name is Pongo. (Orangutans)Bornean Orangutans have gray skin but it’s not visible because a thick layer of long reddish orangish hair covers it. (Orangutan) Bornean Orangutans have really long arms. Male Bornean orangutans are five feet tall and have arms that are 7 feet from fingertip to fingertip. They could even use their arms like a jump rope. Bornean Orangutans are 4 to 5 feet tall. They look similar to a 6 Footman. Bornean Orangutans weigh approximately 73 to 180 pounds. (Orangutans) Bornean orangutan's extremely long arms are useful for swinging from tree to tree. Their arms are longer than their legs and almost reach all the way down to their ankles. Bornean Orangutans have long strong fingers and toes used to grasp on the branches and vines. Like all the apes, Bornean Orangutans don't have tails. Male Bornean orangutans are larger than adult females. Female Bornean Orangutans have shiny hair and don't have a beard. Male Bornean orangutans have big padded cheeks on the sides of their face and a large sac under their chin. When they are on the ground they use their arms like a pair of crutches or with their arms high above their head. (Orangutan) Bornean Orangutans have really strong jaw bones to allow them to eat bark and leaves. (Why orangutans are endangered)

Habitat

Bornean orangutans live in beautiful rainforests. Their home has various plants and animals and a variety of trees. The forest has two large rivers beside them and many undiscovered plants and animals. (Threats to Orangutans) Bornean Orangutans also live in tropical forests on the southeast Asian islands of Borneo and Sumatra. They are the only great ape there. Bornean Orangutans spend a lot of their time in trees. They build a nest every night to sleep in. Sometimes they reuse the nests but not always. Bornean Orangutans use leafy branches to block the rain and sun and sometimes use large leaves to wear like a raincoat or poncho. Bornean Orangutans have home ranges. Each female lives about 3.5 square miles away from other females. Each male lives about 15 square miles away from other males. A male's range can overlap with a female's range and sometimes the male visits a female's home. If a male goes into another male's territory they will roar really loud letting the male know it's occupied. The roar will also attract a female to the males' territory. (Orangutan) Bornean Orangutan's habitat is in danger due to loggers. Loggers are people who cut down trees to make new roads or free up space for new buildings. Making a new road can take away hundreds or even thousands of homes for the Orangutans. Now, three-quarters of Orangutans live outside protected areas in logging spaces. Logging isn't the only thing destroying the Bornean Orangutan's habitat. Forest fires are a big threat to the Bornean Orangutans' habitat. Climate change causes the island to suffer severe droughts. Forest fires not only destroy the forest but many Bornean Orangutans die too. ( Why orangutans are endangered)Forest fires are also made by companies as a cheap and fast way of clearing land threatening the Orangutans and their ecosystem. (Threats to Orangutans)

Diet

Bornean orangutans are omnivores. They mostly eat fruit, but they will rarely eat meat if they can't find any fruit or insects. (Orangutans) Bornean orangutans are loners; they don't forage for their food in groups, going alone to search for food. Some orangutans stay on their tree until they somehow manage to locate hidden fruit. Bornean orangutans eat up to 100 different types of fruit. Their most favorite are figs and fruit from the durian tree. When they don't find fruit they often eat leaves, flowers, bark, honey, termites, ants, and other small insects. They also sometimes even eat bird eggs. They spend their mornings and afternoons looking for food. Females sometimes run into each other and eat together while their youngsters play together. On the other hand, males hate company, especially from other males. Even though Bornean Orangutans get fresh juice from the fruit they also drink water. They get water from tree hollows, wet plants, and they even lick it off their fur. At the San Diego zoo they feed bornean orangutans romaine lettuce, kale, carrots, yams, broccoli, bananas, apples, oranges, and grapes. Bornean orangutans are not picky at all; they love all kinds of fruits and vegetables.Unlike other orangutans, Bornean orangutans don't have predators so they can spend more of their time on the ground. (Orangutan)

Reproduction

Bornean orangutans are mammals. (Orangutans) Bornean orangutans are the slowest mammal to breed. They reproduce every seven to eight years. Female Bornean orangutans have their first baby around the age twelve to fifteen. Most male orangutans mature at fifteen years old. Newborn Bornean orangutans have pink faces that turn black or brown as they start aging. When it's just a few weeks old it holds on to its mama's belly while swinging from tree to tree to find food. After it grows a bit it rides on its moms back. Like all kids Bornean orangutans are more active than their mom they play with other baby orangutans. Once a bornean orangutan is about four to five years old it can move freely but still stays close to its mom. A Bornean orangutan sticks with its mom until it turns seven or eight years old. By then they have been taught how to find fruit, build nests, and other things to survive. They learn at what time the fruit ripens and where. Bornean orangutans communicate by the noises they make. They have at least thirty two different sounds. For example if you hear a noise from an orangutan that sounds like a belch you should probably get away. When they make that noise it means they are annoyed or disturbed. When bornean orangutans squeak loud, it means they are excited. This is called the "kiss-squeak". They also communicate through facial expressions and gestures. When a mother thinks there is danger close she makes a soft scraping noise to warn the youngsters and let them know to stay nearby. (Orangutan)

Issues

Bornean orangutans are critically endangered. About 2,000 to 3,000 or more are killed every year. At this rate bornean orangutans are going to be gone in fifty years or less.The main threats to bornean orangutans today are habitat loss, illegal hunting, and illegal pet trade. Bornean orangutans have lost 80% of their habitat in the last 20 years due to forest fires. About one third of their population has died. Climate change is a big part of forest fires but it isn't the only cause. Deforestation is another threat to the Bornean orangutans and their habitats. Many businesses need to clear land for roads, factories, and other stuff. They cut down trees and take homes from Bornean orangutans. Some companies make a forest fire to help speed the process. When they make that forest fire a lot of orangutans die because they are on the trees that are burning up so they burn to death. Orangutans have been hunted for food. Wild orangutans are often tempted to take fruit from farms or gardens. That gets the farmers mad so when they show up again they shoot them and keep their skull as a souvenir to sell. The Bornean orangutans population has decreased 50% since 1993( Threats to orangutans). Many bornean orangutans are killed when logging opens up access into forests for poachers. They kill orangutans for their meat and traditional medicines. In some areas where poachers hunt there are no more orangutans left (Why Orangutans are Endangered).

Works Cited

Why Orangutans Are Endangered (Current Results) https://www.currentresults.com/Endangered-Animals/why-are-orangutans-endangered.php

Threats to Orangutans (Orangutan) https://www.orangutan.com/orangutans/threats-to-orangutans/

Orangutans (National geographic) https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/orangutans

Orangutan (San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance) https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/orangutan#:~:text=Long%2C%20flowing%2C%20reddish%20hair%20covers,don't%20have%20a%20tail.