ORANGUTAN AWARENESS DAY!
We are sporting orange today and going to the rainforests of Southeast Asia to celebrate one of the most special mammals and great apes on the planet! These amazing apes are gorgeous, intelligent and unfortunately endangered. So today we are going to share some fun facts, photos and resources and how you can help protect these special creatures!
- Orangutans are great apes.
- There are two species, the Bornean and the Sumantran.
- Orangutans are solitary in the wild.
- Orangutans are arboreal (spend most of their lives in trees.)
- They are frugivores.
- Orangutans are highly intelligent.
- Baby orangutans stay with their mothers for around 8 years, the longest of any primate.
- Orangutans have extremely long arm spans, up to 7 feet from finger tips to finger tips.
- Orangutans’ feet are built just like hands and help them climb in the trees.
There are several organizations that are working very hard to ensure that orangutans have a future in the wild. Their rainforest home is rapidly disappearing mainly due to palm oil plantations. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is one of the leading institutions working to solve this issue. Check out their website!
The Adventures of Ellie and Edmond 