In Malay, “orangutan” means “man of the forest,” since the animal lives a solitary existence in lowland forests, as they “feast on wild fruits like lychees, mangosteens, and figs, and slurp water from holes in trees.”
While orangutans have short legs, they have proportionately long arms, in fact the longest of the great apes (their arms stretch to the ankles when they are standing).
Orangutans have a lot of heft. They are the largest and heaviest tree-dwelling mammals. On average males weigh 83 kilograms (183 pounds) and are about 1.5 metres (five feet) tall.
Apparently orangutans like to laugh. Research has shown that during play these apes will tickle each other, punch playfully, and when one does a gaping grin—their version of laughter.
Chantek was one smart cookie. The male orangutan, who lived at Zoo Atlanta, learned to communicate with American Sign Language under the care of an anthropologist.
Orangutans hang from jungle branches. However, mothers frequently build “a living bridge for the baby to scamper across” if a distance is too large for a child.
For the most part, orangutans are vegetarians and more specifically frugivores. While they don't usually eat meat (unless they’re like Chantek) or eggs, they will sometimes consume small animals.
While orangutans are close to the top of the food chain in their jungles, they do have to be aware of some predators. In Sumatra, they need to swing clear of hungry tigers and cloud leopards.