The Orangutan of Borneo

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       There are three great man-like apes,—the gorilla, the chimpanzee and the orangutan. The first two are natives of Africa; the third is found in the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. 

       The orangutans differs very greatly in appearance from the other apes. To begin with, his long hair is entirely auburn in color. He is a real “red-head”; and his shaggy locks cover practically his whole body. Even his black face has a suggestion of a mustache and chin whiskers.' Old male orangutans have very broad faces. When they are well fed, great layers of fat form on the cheeks in front of the small close-set ears. These layers are usually not more than an inch and a half thick; but extending out on both sides for three or four inches, they make the orang look like a great round man-in-the-moon. It is possible that this fat is like that in the earners hump, a reserve supply of food to be absorbed in time of famine.

       The orangutan is further characterized by extremely long arms, a thick body and short legs. The “reach” measured from finger tip to finger tip across his outstretched arms and chest is almost twice the animal's height, from heel to crown. In family groups, the older males are four feet six inches tall and have a reach of eight feet four and one-half inches. The orangutan's hands and feet, too, are strange. He uses them as hooks in tree climbing for so many generations that even the finger and toe bones have become curved. He cannot put his foot flat on the ground; but must walk on the outside of his foot and the back of his third and fourth toes, supporting most of his weight on the knuckles of his hands. People who have seen older orangutan males walking in the forest say that they look just like an older men on crutches.

       Although the orangutan's walking gait is slow, he climbs very rapidly. He can easily swing himself along from branch to branch and tree to tree faster than a man can run. His hook-like grasping feet, his long hands and his strong arms make him a true tree animal. In fact, the orangutan seldom comes down to the ground at all; and when he does, it is only to get a drink of water or to feed on the juicy palm shoots that grow along the water’s edge. When he drinks, he dips his hand into the water and then licks the drops from his knuckles.

       For the most part, orangutans are very good natured fellows. They have no enemies except man; for they are the most powerful animals to be found in the Borneo jungles. They are very inquisitive; and they often expose themselves to a fatal shot in their effort to find out just what the man who hunts them is trying to do. They are not dangerous to man except when trapped or wounded; but then they fly into fearful rages—roaring, howling and even fighting with hands and teeth.

       Orangutans do not have real homes; but at night they build a rough platform, three to four feet in diameter, where they sleep lying flat on the back with their hands and feet grasping nearby branches. These beds are usually placed in the lower branches of the trees. There the animals are somewhat protected from the wind and night rains of the tropics. When the weather becomes extremely wet, the orangutans cover themselves over with large pandanus or fern leaves. They are not early risers; but wait until the morning sun has somewhat dried the leaves before they begin to stir about.

       The orangutan's day is spent almost entirely in eating; and most of his food is found in the trees. Nuts, fruits, leaves, buds and shoots are all devoured eagerly; and, curiously enough, he prefers unripe fruit. The durian fruits are eaten by the natives of Borneo as well as by the orangutans. Orchards are planted on the mountain slopes which rise above the jungle; and their visits from the orangutans are quite unwelcome. 

       Only the natives of one tribe are fond of these great apes. They tell the story of an attack on their village by an enemy tribe. As the enemy approached, large numbers of orangutans appeared in the trees, curious at the sight of the newcomers. The enemies, thinking that the orangutans were strange inhabitants of the village, grew frightened and ran away; and thus the village was saved. The story, probably, is not true; but most of the people of Borneo do recognize the orangutan's resemblance to man. Indeed, the Malay name “Orang-utan” means “man of the woods.”  Cockrell.

• Orangutan Jungle School at Nyaru Menteng