The Natural History of Orang-Utan

The name “orang-utan” conjures up very different images to different people: shy, elusive man of the forest; a tantalising glimpse into unknown worlds of the jungles of the Far East; an endearing, appealing and amusing star of popular movies; the highlight of a visit to the zoo. But what is the true nature of the orang-utan? It is in the record book for several reasons: it is one of our closest relatives; it is the largest primate in Asia; and is the largest tree-dwelling animal in the world. Once more widespread, the orang-utan now occurs only in the tropical rain forests of Sumatra and Borneo, and its range and numbers are still shrinking rapidly. This richly illustrated book takes us into the natural world of the orang-utan and its rain forest home. It explores all aspects of the orang-utan’s life, from myths and legends to its family tree, distribution, life history, ecology, social life, tool-making and language skills, through to its conservation and future prospects.

• Foreword
• Introduction
• Myths, Legends and First Impressions
• What are Orang-utans?
• What do Orang-utans look like?
• Where are Orang-utans found, and why?
• Life History of an Orang-utan
• Social Life of Orang-utans
• What do Orang-utans eat?
• Travel through the Forest
• Tools and Language
• Threats facing orang-utans
• Box feature: How many orang-utans are left in the Wild?
• Orang-utan rehabilitation: does it work?
• Box feature: What can I do about it ?
• Where to see Orang-Utans in Borneo and Sumatra
• Acknowledgements
• Suggested Further Reading