Who is the wildest?
march 17, 2019, somewhere in northern Sumatra, Indonesia, a female orangutan is snatched from death. Saved in extremis by the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Program team, Hope, in her early thirties, underwent a lengthy surgical procedure. She was found wounded, lying under a tree, with no less than 74 bullet holes from an air gun. Her one-month-old baby did not survive. This tragic story could just as easily have happened in Malaysia. The encroachment of agricultural land on primary forest continues unabated, reducing the orangutans' hopes of survival. It is estimated that nearly 80% of the primates' habitat has been cleared in just 20 years. The Wildlife Conservation Society, an American non-governmental organization, estimates that the species may be driven to extinction in the wild within the next ten years. The only possible solution is to put an end to poaching and deforestation. As well as being the victims of palm oil producers, orangutans are also the preferred target of wildlife traders. The species may be on the critically endangered list, but it remains a prime target for lovers of wild animals for domestication. A baby orangutan can fetch up to US$45,000 on the black market. The WWF estimates that 25 orangutans die every day, which represents more than 9,000 individuals killed per year. However, figures on the number of individuals killed vary. The International Union for Conservation of Nature estimates the total population at between 45,000 and 69,000 orangutans, including 35,000 on the island of Borneo.
What a family!
Orangutans belong to the large primate family, which includes humans, gorillas and microcebes, a mini-lemur measuring just 13 cm. They share some common features, such as frontal eyes and limbs ending in 5 fingers with a flat nail. The orangutan shares 97% of its genetic heritage with the human species. It measures between 1.10 m and 1.40 m, weighs between 40 kg and 100 kg, and can live up to 40 years in its natural environment. Nénette, a famous female orangutan, is enjoying a happy old age at the Jardin des Plantes menagerie in Paris. She reached the canonical age of 50 in 2019. There are three subspecies of orangutan: Sumatran (Indonesia), Tapanuli (Indonesia) and Borneo. The Bornean orangutan is slightly smaller than its cousins. What they have in common is a wiry red coat, a large goiter that enables them to utter powerful cries, and a placid, melancholy air. The orangutan is a solitary animal, unlike other apes, which live in tribes. Its territory ranges from 10 km² to 40 km². The male tolerates the presence of the female if he has first impregnated her. She can benefit from the father's protection for a year or two after giving birth. Females give birth to only one baby at a time. Twins are extremely rare. Gestation lasts 8 months, and it takes between 7 and 8 years between two pregnancies. The slowness of the reproductive cycle partly explains the near extinction of the species. Once born, the orangutan cub spends 6 to 7 years with its mother. For the first few months, it clings to its mother's back or belly. Then it gradually learns to climb trees, find its own food and build a nest for the night. Learning to eat takes time. It's important to know which plants are edible and which are not, and to understand how to open a fruit with a pod. The youngster continues to suckle his mother until puberty and the big departure. Once it has completed its training, it sets out to conquer a territory. At first, he may live in another male's territory. But then his development will be slower. By staying small, he's more discreet and can also reach the higher, softer branches of trees, where a big male wouldn't venture. Orangutans reach sexual maturity between the ages of 7 and 10. It's the female who takes the lead during the fertile period. She knows where to find a male thanks to the longcall he regularly makes to signal his presence in her territory. She then comes to meet him, and the mating period can last several days, to give her the best chance of success. Then everyone leaves as they came. Alone.
Lifestyle habits
Orangutans spend most of their time in the trees. They eat and sleep there. Their presence on the ground proves too dangerous for them, and they become easy prey. But up here, they can observe what's going on below and, above all, lead a cushy life. They move from branch to branch, stretching their long arms to the limit. The wingspan of an adult male can reach over 2.50 m. They spend 40% of their day foraging for food. They prefer the bark of certain trees, leaves and flowers, as well as ants. But their favorite food is unquestionably fruit, of which they know at least a hundred species. Cleverly, they like it "green" and use it as a priority over other frugivores. The relationship with food is crucial for orangutans, so much so that in rehabilitation centers, caretakers use endless tricks to help the primate find its food. They hide it, place it in incongruous places, lock it in boxes, forcing the animal to think hard to get its due. They know that once they're back in the wild, they'll have to struggle to feed themselves. The orangutan's second major occupation is nest building. As a nomad, he's constantly on the move and has to rebuild a bed every day. This occupation also takes up 40% of its daily time. It's all about finding the ideal fork of branches to settle on, and at a sufficient height to ensure its safety. The nest is made of branches that delimit the space. The monkey then lays down vines, leaves and twigs to ensure a comfortable mattress. He can then spend the remaining 20% of his day sleeping.
Intelligent animals
Observing and studying orangutans in captivity has revealed their exceptional cognitive abilities. They have a wide range of emotions, which they display just like we do: fear, joy, sadness, surprise, bad temper, pouting... Babies cry when they are hungry or in pain, and smile at their mothers. Orangutans have been known to find or make tools to help them survive. During the dry season, for example, when water is hard to come by, they chew on leaves, turn them into sponges and dive into tree cavities to extract water. When it rains, they create umbrellas from large banana or alocasia leaves. If they have to ford a river, they take a long branch to probe the water's depth. To feed themselves, they know how to trick better than anyone. In the wild, they retrieve long sticks and plunge them into termite mounds and ant hills to extract their favorite delicacy. In the face of danger, too, primates are cautious and astute. An experiment was carried out by researchers at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. They disguised themselves as tigers and stood under a tree with a female and her cub. Each time, the female grabbed her child and climbed higher into the tree, without making a sound. It was only when the danger began to recede that she let out an alarm call to warn the other jungle animals. Her own safety comes first. But the experiments in captivity were the ones that revealed their full intelligence. One such experiment involved plunging a peanut into a test tube with a base of water. The test tube was then fixed vertically to a wall. Water was left in a container in the animal's cage. It took the monkey around ten minutes to realize that by raising the water level in the test tube, the peanut would rise to the surface and he could grab it. The experiment was carried out on 9 females aged between 7 and 32, and all succeeded. The orangutan also shows great sensitivity. Nénette, the "French" star of the Jardin des Plantes, loves to draw. Her keepers frequently give her leaves, and she draws with mango pits or beet skin. Once her work is finished, she hands it back to her keepers through the fence.
Where to see orangutans?
Deeply endearing, orangutans are easy to spot in Malaysia. The country has two rehabilitation centers, one in Sarawak and the other in Sabah. The first is the Semenggoh Wildlife Center, near Kuching, and the second is the Sepilok Rehabilitation Center. Both centers aim to reintroduce animals into the wild whenever possible. These are orangutans that have been found abandoned, injured or sick, or others that have been taken from captivity in circuses or private homes. For a reasonable entrance fee, it is possible to visit these centers. The Semenggoh Wildlife Center is our favorite. Less crowded than the one in Sabah, the center rehabilitates primates in semi-captivity. It's therefore possible to wander through the jungle without any guarantee of seeing them, although the chances are of course high. The Sepilok center is much busier, and it's only possible to visit the observation platform. Meals are served twice a day, at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., and the monkeys come swinging on the long ropes to grab their food. Try to stay for a while after the flow of tourists has left. The monkeys often come back, and when it's less crowded, they'll indulge in some facetious antics. While the experience at the centers may seem questionable to some, you should know that the ringgits you spend directly contribute to saving the orangutans.
It's also possible to try your hand in the wild. Batang Ai National Park, in Sarawak, is the place to be. As well as boasting a high concentration of orangutans, which increases your chances of spotting them, the park is co-managed by the Ibans, the tribal population settled in the region. You can go hiking in the jungle, but also travel upstream in a longboat, the Ibans' traditional means of transport, and stay in a longhouse, the traditional dwelling. The park is also famous for its hornbills and gibbons. In any case, park or center, remember to take a pair of binoculars and a camera with a powerful zoom lens. And let yourself be charmed and touched by these large, colorful primates that remind us of our own humanity.
