orangutan

Everyday

1. An orangutan is a large, intelligent ape with long reddish-orange hair and very long arms, which lives in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra in South-East Asia. tree →
2. Orangutans spend most of their lives in trees and are the largest tree-living animals. tree →

In the lessons

In science and geography lessons orangutans come up in rainforest habitats and conservation: forests are being cut down for farms, including palm oil plantations, so orangutans are critically endangered. Their name comes from Malay words meaning «person of the forest». They make a new nest of leaves to sleep in every night and use leaves as umbrellas.

Examples

• The orangutan swung slowly from branch to branch. tree →
• Orangutans live only on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. tree →
• Their name means «person of the forest». tree →
• A baby orangutan stays with its mother for years. tree →
• Orangutans build a fresh leafy nest each night. tree →
• Cutting down the rainforest puts orangutans in danger. tree →
• The orangutan held a big leaf over its head like an umbrella. tree →

Note

Plural «orangutans»; «an orangutan». Also spelt «orang-utan». Spelling trap: it ends in «-tan», not «-tang», though some people say «orang-utang». It is an ape, not a monkey.