International Orangutan Day 2020: Furry Facts About Orangutans That Will Make You Fall In Love With The Great Apes Even More!

International Orangutan Day 2020 is on August 19. Every year, the day is observed in honour of the great apes and to encourage the public to take action in protecting this amazing species in the world. They are an inhabitant of rich tropical forests and endangered victim of the Palm Oil industry. These magnificent creatures have been facing extinction for decades. As we celebrate International Orangutan Day 2020, it is a good time to take a look at some of the most interesting facts about the great apes that will help you know them better and therefore, conserve them. In this article, we bring you some furry facts about orangutans that will make you fall in love with the great apes even more. Orangutan Teaches the Importance of Washing Hands and Maintain Hygiene During Coronavirus Pandemic. 

• Orangutans are great red-haired apes living in the tropical rainforests of Sumatra and Borneo in Southeast Asia.
• They are one of humankind’s closest relatives. So close, that we share nearly 97% of the same DNA!
• What does orangutan mean? The word comes from the Malay words, “orang hutan,” which means “human of the forest.”
• These animals spend most of their time up in the trees. They use their long, strong arms and hook-shaped hands to climb and swing from branch to branch.
• Orangutan’s diet consists of mostly fruits and leaves. However, they also munch on nuts, insects and once in a while, bird eggs too.
• There are a total of three species of orangutan—the Bornean, the Sumatran and the Tapanuli. All three species are critically endangered.
• Young orangutans stay with their mother until they reach around seven years old. During this time, they learn everything from her—including what is good to eat. Because of these special bond shared between mother and child, orangutans only have young once every seven to nine years—the longest birth interval of any land mammal. Albino Orangutan, World's Only Such Primate Spotted in Borneo Rainforest. 
• The great apes can live to over 30 years old, and many live to 50.
• Unlike the other great apes such as chimpanzees, and gorillas, orangutans do not like to live in groups. A female is usually accompanied by a baby or two, but the males prefer to be alone.

Besides being such a majestic ape, orangutans are unfortunately today on the endangered species list. Deforestation in the forests where they live has reduced their habitat. Illegal hunting has also put the populations at serious risk. We need to save the forest and plant more and more trees for the animals to stay secure in their home.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 18, 2020 09:15 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).