Orang-utan is a word that is actually composed of two Malay language words orang (person) and hutan (forest). This is where their nickname of ‘Man of the Forest’ originates from.

96.4% genetically human, these are the only great apes of Asia and they are only found on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra.

The Bornean Orangutan is listed as endangered, as habitat destruction has had a devastating impact on their numbers in the wild. I saw three of them near the Kinabatangan River in Sabah, Borneo but they were all very far away. The most accessible and reliable way to see Orangutans in Borneo is by visiting the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilition Centre.

The first photo below is of a rehab Orangutan at Sepilok, the second is a wild Orangutan near the Kinabatangan River.