Animals of Muslim Lands
The orangutans are two species of great apes known for their long arms and reddish-brown hair. Native to Indonesia and Malaysia, they are currently found only in rainforests on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra in Indonesia. Their name derives from the Malay and Indonesian phrase orang hutan, meaning ‘man of the forest’. The orangutan is an official state animal of Sabah in Malaysia.
Fruit makes up 65% of the orangutan diet. The Sumatran Orangutan is critically endangered with only about 7,300 and the Bornean Oranutan is endangered with about 50,000.
