There Are 3 Species Of Orangutan

The largest arboreal animal in the world is an orangutan, which in Malay means "man of the forest." Great apes called orangutans are extremely intelligent and share 97 percent of our genes. The distribution of these creatures is now largely confined to the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra, having previously been spread over South China and Southeast Asia. In 1996, orangutans, which were hitherto thought to be a single species in the genus Pongo, were split into two species: the Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) and the Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii). In 2017, a third orangutan species called the Tapanuli orangutan (P. tapanuliensis), was discovered.

Only Borneo and Sumatra are home to these giant apes in the wild. The three species of orangutans are all in grave danger. There are thought to be less than 800 Tapanuli orangutans, slightly over 100,000 Bornean, and less than 14,000 Sumatran orangutans left in the world, according to estimations. Although they have similar-looking fluffy ginger fur, Bornean orangutans have larger cheeks and darker red coats than their Sumatran relatives. However, they do share several traits in common. Mature male Sumatran orangutans have a beard and mustache, while adult females also have beards.