Overview
Orangutans, meaning 'forest people' in Malay, are the only great apes native to Asia, inhabiting the tropical rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra. Genetically distinct from other hominids, diverging between 19.3 and 15.7 million years ago, they are now classified into three species: the Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus), the Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii), and the Tapanuli orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis), the latter identified definitively in 2017. These highly arboreal primates are characterized by their long, reddish-brown hair and spend most of their lives in trees, exhibiting remarkable intelligence and complex social behaviors. Despite their ancient lineage, orangutans are critically endangered, primarily due to rapid deforestation driven by palm oil plantations and other agricultural expansion, pushing their populations to the brink.