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Driving To The Banana Store

Orangutan driving a golf cart.
Orangutan driving a golf cart. Image by Clayton Collins via YouTube

Now this is not something you see everyday. Going bananas, literally! So, buckle up and prepare to be taken away in this video above of an orangutan driving a golf cart. This footage is where the natural world merge with the charm of human invention!

Let’s take a closer look at these cute primates…

Physical Features Of The Oragutan

Oragutan
Oragutan and child. Image via Deposit Photos

Size & Strength

Orangutan
Orangutan. Image via Unsplash
  • Males Orangutans can be 4.5 feet in height. They weigh 200 pounds! Meanwhile, females are smaller.
  • Their size and muscular build give them the ability to move through the thick rainforest. They use their long arms to swing from branch to branch.

Orangutan’s Facial Features

Orangutan
Orangutan. Image via Unsplash.
  • Adult male orangutans are recognised by their facial flanges. These are large, bony growths on either side of their faces. Furthermore, these flanges are a visual indicator of their maturity and age!
  • Orangutans also have cheek pads. These are fatty deposits positioned on either side of their faces.

Hands, Feet, & Long Hair

Orangutan
Orangutan. Image via Unsplash.
  • Orangutans have hands and feet perfectly suited for life in the trees. Additionally, their hands have long, strong fingers and opposable thumbs, which gives them the ability to grip objects. These hands are important part for the activity of foraging and building nests.
  • Their feet are also shaped for climbing. Their feet have long, curved toes and flexible joints which give a firm grip on tree branches.
  • Orangutans have long, reddish-brown hair that serves as insulation against the damp and cool conditions of the rainforest.

Let’s now explore the behavioral traits of the Orangutan…

Tool Use

sumatran orangutan
Sumatran orangutans are critically endangered. Image via Depositphotos

Orangutans are intelligent. They use tools, such as sticks to extract insects or seeds.

Nest Building

Female orangutan portrait. Image via depositphotos.

They build complex nests in trees using branches and leaves. They create a new one each night for sleeping.

Foraging

Orangutan Rescues Drowning Bird
Image via the DODO

Orangutans spend most of their day foraging for a diverse diet. This includes fruits, leaves, and insects.

Solitary Behavior

Orangutan
Orangutan after eating too many bananas. showing us the consequences of our actions. Generated using DALLE-E by Linnea for AATG.

Orangutans are mostly solitary.

Social Learning

Orangutan
Orangutan. By Ridwan0810 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=60332364

Young orangutans learn important survival skills by observing and mimicking their mothers and other adults.

Communication

orangutan
Orangutan. Image by SURZet via Depositphotos

They communicate using vocalizations, gestures, and facial expressions.

Problem Solving

Young Orangutan with funny pose swinging on a rope. Image by Depositphotos

Orangutans show advanced problem-solving abilities. For example, they often figure out how to access difficult-to-reach food sources.

Play

Baby orangutan hanging and swinging on the rope upside down. Image via Deposit Photos.

Young orangutans take part in play to develop their motor skills and social behaviors.

Use of Shelter

portrait of orangutan
Image Chris F via Pexels

They use large leaves or branches as umbrellas to protect themselves from rain or sun.

Memory

orangutan
Photo by CHUTTERSNAP via Unsplash

Orangutans have great memories. This comes in hand when remembering the locations of fruit trees and the timing of their fruiting seasons.

Maternal Bond

A photo of female orangutan, Cindy, who was released by the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation in the Bukit Batikap Protection Forest.
A photo of female orangutan, Cindy, who was released by the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation in the Bukit Batikap Protection Forest. By Andrea.knox – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=107250867

The bond between a mother and her offspring is strong. The young stay with their mother for up to eight years!

Territoriality

Orangutan
Orangutan (pongo sp.) Located in the conservation area, namely Taman Safari Indonesia, Cisarua, Bogor, West Java. By Sadarachmat – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=100415395

Males maintain and defend large territories.

Grooming

orangutan
Orangutan. Image by Chuttersnap via Unsplash.

Orangutans groom themselves and occasionally others to maintain cleanliness as well as social bonds.

Adaptability

Orangutan learn from their Mum
Orangutan learn everything they need from their mum. Image via Bruce Poon, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

They are highly adaptable. They are able to live in a variety of forest environments from swamps to highland forests.

Sleeping Habits

Orangutan
Orangutan. By Ridwan0810 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=60332364

Orangutans are diurnal. This means they are active during the day and sleep at night.

Wrap Up

Portrait of Bornean Orangutan in wild nature. Image via Deposit Photos.

Find the full video link here!

Overall, these amazing creatures are nature’s wonderful design. Furthermore, from their size and strength to their unique facial features and adaptations for life in the trees! Orangutang’s continue to amaze us with their beauty and intelligence.

Thanks for reading along, for more, check out the article link below.

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