This month was an easy choice for an Orangutan of the Month.  I have been spending much time with Bintang over the past few months; he is a character I will always remember.  Bintang means star in Indonesian and what a star he is!  He is an adult male with a great head of hair who is starting to develop cheek pads.  He is quite large for a subadult male and has an outsize personality [...]

      Numerous studies in the wild and in captivity indicate that the great apes, chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans, are among the smartest land animals on the planet.  The question is why are they so smart.  Does great ape sociality have anything to do with it? Orangutans live on two different large islands, Borneo and Sumatra. It is thought, therefore, that they consist of two different species.  Sumatran orangutans have been documented to be [...]

I am  very happy to write about Charlie for Orangutan of the Month because of all the orangutans at Orangutan Foundation International’s Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine (OCCQ), I have spent the most time with him. I was here when Charlie arrived and I have been able to watch his progression firsthand. And quite a progression it has been! I first met Charlie the day after he was brought to the OCCQ. I walked over [...]