Orangutans consume a variety of food from the forest to support their large size. Being arboreal species gives them access to the food they need to sustain their body size.
Albi eating fruit
Orangutans are a frugivorous species, meaning they predominantly eat fruit. Their strong jaws and teeth aid consumption of both ripe and unripe fruit. When fruit is scarce, other food sources include ants and termites for protein, as well as bark, young leaves and flowers.
Orangutans have creative ways to obtain their food from even the most difficult of places with the assistance of tools. Sticks or broken twigs are used to extract termites and ants from deep within tree trunks and branches.
Mona eating termites from rotten wood
The expertise of orangutans as forest foragers is demonstrated when monitoring the populations at Lamandau Wildlife Reserve. One example is mother-infant duo ‘Mores-Marsha’ at Camp JL, who are both well-equipped in ground-level and arboreal foraging. Marsha was born in the wild to her mother Mores in 2019. At five-years-old, she remains close to her mothers side, learning and developing her forest skills.
Mores (left) and Marsha (right)
Mores and Marsha are often observed going to Camp JL to rest or forage around camp. While resting, Mores likes to spend her time lying on the ground or on a tree branch, while her daughter plays alone swinging on a nearby tree. When the evening comes, Mores and Marsha will venture back to the forest, again searching for food before settling down for the night. A favourite route is via the riverbank providing not only food but water to play in.
Endut eating berries
Orangutans and their rainforest habitat have evolved together over centuries, yet deforestation and habitat degradation make it increasingly difficult for orangutans to find sufficient food in their home. The intelligence of orangutans enables them to develop new strategies and problem-solve when it comes to foraging, but this only goes so far if the rainforest and its food sources are depleted. We can collectively help the future of orangutans by protecting their natural habitat.
