Save the Orangutans

The orangutan is a highly intelligent member of the Great Ape family that has ninety-seven percent of its DNA in common with humans. In fact, with orang meaning person and hutan meaning forest, their name loosely translates to “person of the forest” in Malay (The Orangutan Project). They can be found in forests on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, Indonesia, and in parts of Malaysia (The Orangutan Project). They spend ninety percent of their time in the trees swinging from branch to branch with their long arms and rarely touch the forest floor. They are omnivores so they love to enjoy lychees, mangosteens, figs, and even get their water from the holes in the trees. Orangutans are intelligent and can memorize geography, allowing them to travel long distances to find these fruits (Disappearing Orangutans). As a result of palm oil plantations, orangutans are losing their habitat at a rapid rate. They are critically endangered, with only 7,500 Sumatran, 104,700 Borean, and 800 Tanupuli, orangutans are only ten years away from extinction (Kuznik). Without serious and immediate action, the species will soon be extinct.