Below, I will outline ten interesting and key facts that we definitely know about wild orangutans, as well as some of the most interesting and perplexing mysteries that still surround these so called 'men of the forest.'. He’s not just the only orangutan that has ever learned to communicate with humans, using sign language. Whether that’s the case or not, it’s clear that in the wild, orcas seem to have a pretty universal rule: don’t attack humans. An out-of-control, 200-pound pet chimpanzee that had recently been given Xanax apparently went berserk and mauled a woman in Connecticut, leaving her in critical condition. It’s possible that back in prehistory the orangutan was far more gregarious than they are at present, and indeed captive-bred individuals that have been released back into the wild tend to be more gregarious than their wild contemporaries. The woman was saved only when another human chased off the attacker with a stick. ... No one will ever accept what you did, Jerry. [36] I went to San Diego Zoo years ago and they had a brilliant orangutan there, he was very funny and really played to the crowd (I know he would have been better off in the wild but it was a huge zoo and he was in an enormous space). 204. TIL Orangutans have been known to rape human females. 5. It makes me feel sick. According to experts, they may travel as much as several hundred miles from their mother’s home range. Contacts of mine in Kalimantan have told me that this wasn’t the only time an orangutan has raped a woman; it happens every couple of years to women who work at the orangutan center. Linda Bilyeu from Orlando, FL on August 23, 2012: Very interesting James! A lthough there have been many allegations of orangutan-human hybrids over the years, Jacobus Bontius (1592-1631) appears to be the earliest author to refer to such an animal. So it’s likely, that a large portion of males may travel more at least 100 miles away from their mothers. I did not know about the orange hair thing, though I suppose I thought it was just a hair color thing (they are all gingers? We are more closely related to chimps and gorillas than lions are to tigers, and they can still breed with each other. Compared to them, we are a relatively new species on the planet. Many people are working very hard to save the species and its habitat, but as is always the case with conservation there are many forces and factors that hinder any sort of protection and recovery. All of the great apes (except us) are critically endangered, but none more so than the two orangutan subspecies. Only human infants spend a longer amount of time with their mothers than orangutans. If an orangutan feels that it is being threatened or that a human is invading its environment or habitat, it will... Our experts can answer your tough homework and study questions. I never realized their habitat was so limited. In his eyes and on his face I saw sadness, it was one of the most moving experiences I've ever had. Human Anatomy & Physiology: Help and Review, Middle School Life Science: Help and Review, UExcel Anatomy & Physiology: Study Guide & Test Prep, CSET Science Subtest II Life Sciences (217): Practice & Study Guide, AP Environmental Science: Help and Review, Praxis Chemistry (5245): Practice & Study Guide, STAAR Science - Grade 8: Test Prep & Practice, NES General Science (311): Practice & Study Guide, UExcel Science of Nutrition: Study Guide & Test Prep, Middle School Earth Science: Help and Review, NYSTCE Biology (006): Practice and Study Guide, Biological and Biomedical It's my understanding that adult male orangutans sometimes rape unescorted women who are walking through the forest. They are classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, or International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Red List of Threatened Species. Bontius, also known as Jacob de Bondt, was a Dutch physician and naturalist. This was a captive-raised orangutan, rehabilitated and released into the wild. Posted by u/[deleted] 9 years ago. "An orangutan tried to have sex with actress Julia Roberts but was prevented by a film crew" These people have to get their priorities straight. kathleenkat from Bellingham, WA on September 30, 2012: Interesting bit about orangutans. But it is controversial as you say, because most naturalists are worried about any further ecological disruption- but we'll see. How do orangutans take care of their young? I must say though, they are not a cute animal. Indeed, it seems that many of these forces and factors just simply work against the orangutan. ps. answer! I hope he was able to detect the sense of empathy I felt for him. All rights reserved. This was a captive-raised orangutan, rehabilitated and released into the wild. Thanks again. Great hub! Create your account. Borneo orangutan. St. James Davis after chimp attack Getty Images. But there is one ape I might be able to take: the bonobo Like people walking into them or skiing into them or some crap like that. Typically there are a few factors that might cause a gorilla to attack. Have they always been solitary? Angels are on the way to you this afternoon. Extinction- will they survive? While this is not chimp-like aggression for the sake of territoriality, food, or social position, it certainly is violence from the perspective of their victims. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. 1. Yes, unfortunately their extinction with our lifetime is a very real possibility. Often when we refer to the animal kingdom, we think of it as some separate or even inferior concept. While Michelle Desilets, director of the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, told VICE back in 2007: 'They [the farm workers] would come in especially for [her]. It’s very rare, but gorilla attacks can happen. the only enemies of an orangutan are humans....we don't hunt these animals but by habitata destruction thanks.we are the only enimies of the orangutan. Thanks Lesley, I had similar experience when I was at Twycross Zoo. Personally, I'd be willing to give it a go with orangutans- anything to ensure that they have somewhere to live in the wild. People handle injured owls all the time. The cook of noted primatologist Birutė Galdikas was raped by an orangutan. Orangutans, I think, are very human-like. However, all is not yet lost for our gentle sisters and brothers of the forest. If an orangutan feels that it is being threatened or that a human is invading its environment or habitat, it will... See full answer below. 'You could choose a human … 3. Awesome hub jkenny. Although popularly seen as one of the most deadly of the ocean’s creatures, the fact is that killer whale, or more correctly Orcas, have been implicated in very few attacks on humans.. But at least here, in this article, we can acknowledge that we know a lot more about orangutans than we did half a century ago. The reason would appear to be both biological and cultural. It was more socialized to humans than it was other orangutans. The Sumatran orangutan genome was sequenced in January 2011. Mary Norton from Ontario, Canada on February 13, 2015: Years ago, I went to Sarawak to visit the Orangutans. Hope I didn't bore you too much with that hahaha. Jools Hogg from North-East UK on August 22, 2012: James, interesting hub. [35] An orangutan tried to have sex with Actress Julia Roberts but was prevented by a film crew. James Kenny (author) from Birmingham, England on August 22, 2012: Hi Jools, I remember seeing a chimp who was like that in Twycross Zoo, he seemed to love the attention, but I couldn't help but think that he would be much better off in the wild, couldn't help but feel sad for him. A spokeswoman for the Borneo Tourism Board said it is the first time an orangutan has physically assaulted a tourist on one of their jungle treks. Gorillas and orangutans certainly could mate with humans but there would be no chance of producing offspring. Chantek the orangutan is a very special creature. Try googling on the following search terms: Wow, Larry I'd never heard of that. This is the first observed time a female-female conflict in orangutans has turned lethal, and the way the it went down changes what we thought we knew about orangutan behavior. James Kenny (author) from Birmingham, England on August 21, 2012: I'm not sure about orangutans, but I do know that there are some people who are looking to introduce animals like elephants and lions into North America to replace their relatives that became extinct some 10,000 years ago. There were loads of kids pointing at him, banging on the glass etc. Those are all super-strong animals with big canines, and there are documented accounts of those animals mauling humans, and we’ve established that I couldn’t even take an ostrich before. Even the pictures are wonderful!! Congratulations on HotD! I love all animals but n ever did the research on these. But a worse case was recounted by Galdikas herself. James Kenny (author) from Birmingham, England on September 30, 2012: Hi Kathleen I had a similar experience at a zoo with a big male who was in an enclosure behind glass. Over the years, we humans have gradually come to understand the wild habits of chimpanzees, gorillas and the other ape, the acrobatic gibbon, but the life of the orangutan, even to this day remains somewhat of a mystery even to the most passionate and devoted of experts. Thanks so much Suzie! Services, Working Scholars® Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community. Killer whales have been around about 11 million years. He turned his head for a moment and looked me right in the eye. Its thought they aid with vocalisation, but more importantly they make the males appear larger. A massive international effort of cooperation among modern, conservation focused zoos is preserving the gene-pool in the hope that in the future, when enough people finally learn to care about these things beyond simple sentimentality, they can be re-introduced into salvaged or recreated habitats. Thanks for stopping by. It seems a rather odd thing to do because, in fact, we share more than 90 percent of our DNA with the great apes. They aren't going to eat you (lol), just try to run/fly away although they have talons it isn't hard to carry one to the vet at all. Anyway, it was a life changing experience, and made me realise just how similar we are. She said orangutans have been a faddish pet among people in Taiwan. Tiger Attacks Woman. Hmmm...interesting, I think its certainly possible, I have heard of dolphins apparently attempting to rape women in the water. Moe was … Peter coxhead (talk) 18:01, 2 March 2012 (UTC) It says Male orangutans have been known to display sexual attraction to human women to the point of rape. The Orangutan Foundation estimates that between 700 and 1,000 orangutans are kept … People and orangutans have been in contact ever since modern humans made their home in the wet tropics some 70,000 years ago. If you’re going to have a tiff with your husband and storm out of the car, don’t do it when you’re in the tiger enclosure at Beijing Wildlife Park. I agree Deb, I think that goes for all of the great apes, as it seems that there is little chance of them surviving alongside us. Is this the way that gentle giants conduct themselves? Deb Hirt from Stillwater, OK on August 23, 2012: Perhaps these wonderful animals need their own island in order to proliferate WITHOUT humanity. James Kenny (author) from Birmingham, England on October 21, 2012: I agree whowas, there is always hope, not just for orangutans, but for gorillas, chimps and bonobos too. Nice to meet you! Extinction within the next decade or two is a real possibility. As seen with Lucy, several great apes have developed romantic predilections toward human beings. The cook of noted primatologist Birutė Galdikas was raped by an orangutan. I had been avoiding palm oil in food because I had been told we were destroying their habitat but I hadn't read anything about them. So hopeful they do not become one of the extinct creatures that can only be viewed on line or in books. In fact, the only documented Orca attacks that have resulted in fatalities have … He was trained at Leiden University and is now remembered as a pioneer of tropical medicine and eastern zoology. Thanks for popping by. They should be well protected in their own natural habitat, failing which a time may come they will be extinct. This is the million dollar question when it comes to orangutans. He says there have been cases where gorillas attacked and … So adorable! we still have them at the SF zoo. Fightback: A tribe of orangutans ambushed a palm oil plantation worker and knocked him unconscious The revenge on humans came when a man named only as Kurnadi was working in … Excellent hub! Anyway, this big male retreated to the far corner to hunker down, but not before risking a glance back at the overexcited kids. One of them wanted to snatch my purse. A mature orangutan will bite a human hand hard enough to cause pain to see if the human is frightened or will jerk the hand away, both of which manoeuvres mean flunking the test. Orangutans have killed humans. Subsequently, the Bornean species had its genome sequenced. The cook of noted primatologist Birutė Galdikas was raped by an orangutan. Thanks for nice article on Orangutan. Larry Fields from Northern California on August 23, 2012: "I even looked for any references of orangutans attacking humans and found nothing.". Ian Redmond of Ape Alliance worked with Fossey in Rwanda for three years in … Of all the primates human males have the largest penis in terms of size and as a % of their body size. It could well be that they live as long as 70, but truthfully we cannot say for certain. There were all these kids banging on the glass- which they can't help, but what bothered me was that the parents were doing it too. The unraveling of the Davises' near-perfect life began on a hot day in August 1998. Close. One scientist who spent time there has described an attempted sexual attack on a female colleague by a male orangutan named Apollo Bob. Glad I stopped by to read this. So why are orangutans orange when their chimp and gorilla cousins are black? Have there been any female attacks on humans, or any researchers seen any of them using a rock or a stick as a dildo? We have a tendency to refer to everything from bees to chimps as "animals" while keeping ourselves separate. Very sad; I would be sad too! Are humans more closely related to chimpanzees or... How long do orangutans live in captivity? If they were to go extinct entirely, it would be the biggest wildlife tragedy of all, because how we could possibly understand ourselves, if we never managed to fully understand our closest relatives. Owl's don't even attack humans until provoked. Christopher Antony Meade from Gillingham Kent. Sciences, Culinary Arts and Personal "But based on our experience, she could have been asking for food from Syahrul. peachy from Home Sweet Home on April 22, 2015: I live to watch sir david videos, he may be old but his speech is clear and precise about wild animals. Might be interesting to study the incidents of macular degeneration and skin cancer in orangutans as opposed to other primates. haha). How far do the males travel in a lifetime? Contacts of mine in Kalimantan have told me that this wasn’t the only time an orangutan has raped a woman; it happens every couple of years to women who work at the orangutan center.