Bornean orang-utan at Paignton Zoo, Devon
Order: Primates
Family: Pongidae
This species is native to hilly and lowland tropical rainforests on the Indonesian island of Borneo.
Orang-utans are primarily herbivores in the wild, eating fruit, leaves, bark, buds, flowers, and seeds.
Conservation
Wild orang-utans have global legal protection. Some orang-utans live within protected forests and there are successful rehabilitation programmes for rescued pets and orphans.
The main threat today is the loss of habitat due to unsustainable palm oil production, illegal logging and agriculture. Hunting and capture for the pet trade are also significant threats. We are proud to be on organisation that only uses and sells products made form sustainable palm oil.
There are also conservation breeding programmes in zoos worldwide including an EAZA ex-situ breeding programme (EEP), that our orang-utans are part of.