Bornean Orangutan

For my project, I chose to design and create a zoo enclosure for a “family” of Bornean Orangutans otherwise known by their scientific name; Pongo pygmaeus. For the construction of this enclosure, I used a box, which I spray painted and cut the top off. This allowed me to mimic a designated viewing area where the Orangutans would hypothetically be placed. Using cardboard walls was not my first choice but I wanted to show specific boundaries of the enclosure. Orangutans are an arboreal species, because of this I used ropes, platforms, and tree-like structures to create an environment that would be conducive to arboreal locomotion and a forest type environment. For the ground covering, I used a soft moss type material keeping in mind males do…

Sumatran orangutans are primarily frugivores, favoring when it is available fruit that is soft and has pulp, and feeding on figs when it is not. Insects, plants, vegetables and bark also contribute to Sumatran orangutan diet, however these contributions are much less significant than that of the fruit. The figs they consume do not fruit on a seasonal basis, meaning they are generally available at any given time of the year (WICH). Unlike figs, the fruiting of soft pulpy fruits does occur on a…

This article discusses the second instance of observed meat eating by a Bornean orangutan in the wild. The first instance of meat eating in Bornean orangutans was in Gunung Palung National Park, where a young female was observed hunting and consuming a rat. In this instance a flanged male orangutan found in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia was observed eating an adult horse-tailed squirrel. The observers concluded that since there was no evidence of a chase or sounds of distress the orangutan most…

The orangutan is scientifically known as the Pongo pygameus. It belongs to the family “Hominidae,” along with the other great apes. In the past, orangutans’ geographic distribution ranged from Southern China to Southeast Asia. Now, this species is only found in Southeast Asia on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. Their habitats include multiple tropical rainforests. There is an abundance of trees in the habitats of orangutans since they are highly arboreal animals, spending more than half their…

research has suggested that orangutans can differentiate between individuals with much less interaction required. The orangutans spend the majority of their time alone. It is estimated they spend 5% of their time associated in social situations. Additionally, very little is known about how the orangutans recognize faces in specific situations. Are they able to discriminate? Can they recognize faces just as accurate as species who are frequently involved in intense social situations? To find…

Introduction Orangutans spend most of their lives high in the trees; they are seldom seen on the ground. Each night, they build a new nest or add to an old nest to support them while they are sleeping (Caldecott, 2005). Home ranges are typically between 5-25 km for males, and 1-10 km for females (Caldecott, 2005). As you can imagine, orangutans that live in captivity don’t have homes remotely close to those ranges. Not only is it smaller, their enclosures also lack forest canopies for them to…

Babchi (Psoralea corylifolia), in which P. corylifolia has a stagnant and steeply declining wild population. This is primarily due to its use in Indian Ayurveda, Tamil Siddha and also Chinese medicine systems of traditional medicine. Another circumstance, would be that of the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), native to south central China. In which Chinese scientists estimate that only roughly 1500 individuals are left in the wild. Making matters worse, many giant pandas have been overserved…

alike in many different ways? It has been proven by many universities and scientist. In a recent article I just read in the LA Times Newspaper is called “A Change at Heart about Animals” by Jeremy Rifkin. In this article he has shown us that animals have a sense of self, emotion, and the ability to learn languages. Those are just some of the things showing how we’re alike. There are probably so many more ways people haven’t discovered yet or haven’t been announced. I agree with Jeremy Rifkin…

Global Warming Advertisement How well informed are about global warming? Do you know that by 2030, at least 18% of the world’s coral reefs will be gone? Do you know that by 2050, up to 400 species of bird will be endangered or extinct? Do you know that by 2080, New York City will be under 3 feet of water due to rising sea levels? Most of these facts are not well known and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) seeks to change this. The WWF’s “mission is to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing…

According to Jane Goodall, “ Chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans have been [lasting] for hundreds of thousands of years in their forest, living [wild] lives, never overpopulating, never destroying the forest. I would [state] that they have been in a way more successful than us as far as being in [concord] with the environment” (Environment Quotes). Palm oil nourishes one’s appearance and rejuvenate the life of food products. The demand for this product has greatly increased in the past years, but…