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Anatomy
The orang-utans, together with the chimpanzees
and gorillas, have large and complicated brains,
although they are still one-third the size of that of
man. They grow very slowly and usually reach
maturity at about 10 years or more. Generally
they live for more than 30-50 years and infant
mortality in the wild is high. Pneumonia, malaria
and other infections take a high toll on the lives of
orang-utans in their natural surroundings. It has
been estimated that of about 5 babies born in the
wild, only an average of 3 have a chance of surviving to adulthood and themselves having
offsprings.
The arms of an orang-utan are extremely long -
the largest and strongest of all apes. When they
walk on the ground it is usually in all fours. They
are however arboreal too - spending most of their
lives in trees. They proceed along the branches of
the middle-storey canopy cautiously, silently and
horizontally. While moving or at rest in the
canopy, they continually manipulates the small
branches within their reach searching for food.
A
true contortionist of the forest, an orang-utan is
capable of clambering, swinging and climbing
through vines and branches to reach food in the
most seemingly inaccessible places. They are
known to consume more than 300 types of forest
fruits and an infinite variety of buds, leaves,
flowers, barks, even molds and humus.
They
have been seen to test for food almost anything
within their reach by eating or chewing them.
When found palatable, fruits, buds and leaves are
stored in the mouth and chewed at intervals. Orang-utans also search for insects and grubs for
food. They would use sticks as 'tools' to poke,
break and get at termites and ants hidden in holes
or woods. Honey of wild bees, bird eggs and
occasionally soil are also eaten by orang-utan.
Of
all the foodstuffs in the forest, the orang-utan
seems to have a predilection for the durian fruit.
Their protruding lips harbour teeth capable of
tearing their way through the prickly covering of
the durian to expose the fleshy and succulent
contents within. The males usually acquire vast
and valuable knowledge as to the whereabouts of
such food and the child-preoccupied females rely
to a large extent on the male's guidance from one
site to the next.
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