1. Orangutans only live in the wild on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo.
2. Humans share 96.4% of their genetic make-up with orangutans and they have been named the world’s most intelligent animal!
3. Despite our similar genetic make-up, orang-utans are believed to be 7 times stronger than humans!
4. Orangutans are part of the Great Ape family - the way to tell the difference between an ape and a monkey is the tail - apes don't have one.
5. Orangutans are the only great ape to originate in Asia (all others come from Africa).
6. Orangutans are arboreal - they spend most of their time in the trees (they are the largest tree living mammal in the world).
7. Orangutan babies live with their mothers until they are 7 or 8 years old - the longest time of any mammals except humans
8. There are thought to be less than 6,600 Sumatran orangutans left and 54,000 Bornean orangutans
9. Orangutans make umbrellas for themselves out of large leaves when rainfall is particularly heavy
10. The "long call" of orangutans can be heard from 2km away
For more information about orangutans download our free Orangutan Guide
Want to see orangutans in Borneo? Check out our extraordinary journeys here!
Read Natural World Safaris client Alan Key's blog