Sumatran orang-utan  (Pongo abelii)

Description

Orang-utan means 'person of the forest' (4) and this Asian ape is indeed truly arboreal. Recent genetic evidence has led to the re-classification of Bornean and Sumatran orang-utans as separate species: Pongo pygmaeus and Pongo abelii respectively (5). Orang-utans have distinctive body shapes with very long arms that may stretch as far as two metres. They have a coarse, shaggy reddish coat (6) and grasping hands and feet (2). Orang-utans are highly sexually dimorphic, with adult males being distinguished by their size, throat pouch and flanges either side of the face, known as cheek pads (7).

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