In Photos: Orang-utans

Everyone has a soft spot for the iconic orang-utan, the king of the swingers. We see ourselves in their almost-human faces and we see the destruction that we are inflicting on the world in their habitat.

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Baby Orang-utan

Baby orang-utan (Pongo pygmaeus) hanging on tree, Gunung Leuser National Park in Indonesia.
Bad Hair Day

Young orang-utan (Pongo pygmaeus) close-up, Gunung Leuser National Park, Indonesia.
Male Orang-utan

A dominant male orang-utan shows off his prominant dewlaps - the flaps of skin either side of his face that designate his dominance.
Taking a Drink

A young orang-utan takes a drink while sitting in a river.
Mother and Baby

A mother orang-utan with her baby.
Brachiation

Orang-utans rely on brachiation for getting around. This the act of swinging arm over arm in the trees, a fairly cost-effective mode of locomotion for an animal with long, strong arms and short legs.
Person of the Forest

Despite the obvious link to their orange fur the name "orang-utan" has nothing to do with their colouration. "Orang-utan" is from the Malay and Indonesian words "orang" and "hutan" meaning "person" and "forest", respectively. This roughly translates to "person of the forest".