10 Fun Facts about Orang-utans

1. Orang-utans are gentle and sit for hours gazing.

2. Orang-utans are highly intelligent and will poke twigs into holes to catch insects, chew up leaves and use them as sponges and use branches and sticks to test the depth of water before entering it

3. Orang-utans have opposable thumbs which means they can touch each of their fingers with their thumb

4. Orang-utans have 32 permanent teeth (the same amount as humans). They have sharp canine teeth with the male Orang-utan having longer canine teeth that they use for threat displays and fighting

5. Mosquitoes bother Orang-utans just like they do humans and they will use branches like fly swatters to swish them away

6. Most Orang-utans build a nest every night high up in a tree and sometimes even add a roof of leaves

7. Orang-utans can make approximately 13 to 15 different vocalizations

8. The name “Oran-gutan” translates into English as “man of the forest”. It comes from Malay and Bahasa Indonesian orang (man) and hutan (forest)

9. When on the ground, Orang-utans walk on all fours, using their palms or fists

10. When males are fighting, they charge each other, grapple, and bite each other’s heads and cheekpads. They sometimes look like Sumo wrestlers