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 Saving the Orangs
By Anne Russon
Glendon College of York University, Toronto, Canada
balikpapan orangutan Society
Ten years ago, I set off for borneo to study orangutans. I knew how closely related they were to humans, but when I actually experienced the orangutans first hand, I found the similarities fascinating.
That orangutans resemble us should not be a surprise. Orangutans are great apes, our closest living relatives on earth. They are our cousins, and it is largely because we are all "family," so to speak, that we resemble one another so closely. Because of our similarities, great apes offer one of the best avenues in existence for understanding human origins and human nature. Only four species of our cousins remain alive on earth today -- chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans -- and every one is at serious risk of extinction. If we lose them, we close an important window on ourselves. |
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 orangutans are our close relatives. It’s easy to fall under the charming spell cast by the auburn hair and quizzical expression of a playful youngster — especially when the child in question is a baby orangutan. These apes, featured in the NATURE program Orangutans: Just Hangin’ On, stir our emotions easily. Whether it’s their alert eyes, grasping hands, or desire to be hugged, many things about them seem humanlike.
That’s not surprising when you think about how closely related we really are. The only primate closer to us is the African ape. But as human as they seem, orangutans are actually wild animals perfectly suited to their forest environment. Weighing in at a hefty 200 pounds, an adult male orangutan is four times as strong as an adult male human and the largest animal to dwell in trees. When climbing on vines, orangutans’ flexible hip joints and hand-like feet make them seem to have four arms rather than two arms and two legs.
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