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The Wild Man of Borneo

No, we’re not talking about some vaudeville sideshow performer from the turn of the century, or an American film comedy from 1941 (which actually had nothing at all to do with Borneo….). Today we’re saluting the true “wild men” of Borneo – the Orangutan.


The Bornean orangutan is the third-largest ape with males ranging from 110-220 lbs (50-100kg) and between 3.9-5.6 ft (1.2-1.7m) in height and females from 66-110 lbs (30-50 kg) and 3.3-3.9 ft (1-1.2 m) in height. Orangatuns in captivity can grow considerably heavier, with the largest recorded at 450 lbs (204 kg).


The Bornean orangutan has a distinctive body shape with very long arms that may reach up to nearly 5 feet (1.5 metres) in length. It has grey skin, a coarse, shaggy, reddish coat and prehensile, grasping hands and feet. Its coat does not cover its face, although Bornean orangutans do have some hair on their faces including a beard and mustache. It also has large, fatty cheek pads known as flanges as well as a pendulous throat sac.


The Bornean orangutan lives in the tropical forests of the Bornean lowlands, as well as mountainous areas up to 4,900 ft (1,500 metres) above sea level. They live throughout the forest canopy and move large distances to find trees bearing fruit.

It is found in the two Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, and four of the five Indonesian Provinces of Kalimantan. Due to habitat destruction, the species’ distribution is now highly patchy throughout the island and it has become rare in the southeast of the island. Its presence in Brunei is uncertain and unconfirmed.


Bornean orangutans are solitary. Two or three with overlapping territories may interact, but only for short periods of time. While not territorial, adult males will display threatening behaviors upon meeting other males, and only socialize with females to mate. Males are considered the most solitary of the orangutans.


The Bornean orangutan has a lifespan of 35-45 years in the wild, while in captivity it can live to be nearly 60.


The Bornean orangutan, while still more common than the Sumatran, with about 104,700 individuals in the wild, whereas just under 14,000 Sumatran orangutans are left in the wild, is still critically endangered. The total number of Bornean orangutans is estimated to be less than 14% of what it was in the recent past (from around 10,000 years ago until the middle of the 20th century), and this sharp decline has occurred mostly over the past few decades due to human activities and development.


A number of orangutan rescue and rehabilitation projects operate in Borneo:

The Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOS) has rescue and rehabilitation centers in East Kalimantan and in Central Kalimantan. BOS also works to conserve and recreate the fast-disappearing rainforest habitat of the orangutan.

Orangutan Foundation International rescues and rehabilitates orangutans, preparing them for release back into protected areas of the Indonesian rain forest. In addition, it also promotes the preservation of the rain forest for them.

The Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre near Sandakan in the state of Sabah in Malaysian Borneo opened in 1964 as the first official orangutan rehabilitation project.




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