Ecology

Orangutans are found only on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra in Southeast Asia. Borneo is divided between Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. Approximately 73% of the island is Indonesian territory.

Although orangutans are primarily in solitude, which is peculiar for a primate, passing other organisms along the trail is inevitable, so an orangutan knows its neighbors well. Tigers prey on orangutans the most. Orangutans fight tigers along with Sundaland clouded leopards-the apex consumer of Borneo, using their teeth and massive strength. They can also use sticks as tools to eat ants and obtain honey from beehives, even arm themselves against foes. When looking for fruit, an orangutan might come across some hornbill eggs, swipe them up, and eat them. Durians are an orangutan's favorite fruit as a frugivore or primary consumer. They discard the skin, eat the contents and spit out the seeds; seed dispersal makes orangutans so vital to the island of Borneo that, if they go extinct, so will several tree species.