Orangutans are found only in the rain forests of the Southeast Asian islands of Borneo and Sumatra. |
Orangutans also eat shoots, bark, leaves, seeds, and insects |
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Orangutans spend most of their lives in trees forests in Sumatra and Borneo. They get their food from the trees, and they build nests in the branches to sleep in. Their long arms help them swing from tree to tree. They use their hands and feet to grab and hold tree branches and food. Orangutans are very smart. They sit under leafy branches for protection from rain and sun, and sometimes even put a very large leaf on their head like a rain hat!
Orangutans don't live in big family groups like other great apes. An adult female will live with her children, but that is the largest grouping. Adult males usually live alone. Orangutans have a very loud call they use to find one another during the mating season.
Orangutans need trees to survive, but they are endangered because forests are quickly being cut down in their habitat. They are also threatened by the pet trade because hunters will often kill the mothers to capture baby orangutans.