As most people probably know, orangutans are great apes native to the rainforests of Malaysia and Indonesia. Although they are currently only found in parts of Borneo and Sumatra, their range once extended to South China and Southeast Asia. Over the past few decades, the population of orangutans has declined sharply.

Over a hundred years ago, there were over a quarter of a million orangutans in total, but now there are estimated to be only about 100,000 of them. That makes them endangered in most of their geographic range but critically endangered in Sumatra.

That’s why it’s important for all of us to take urgent action, and we can begin by observing International Orangutan Day on August 19th each year.

The History of International Orangutan Day

International Orangutan Day was created by World Orangutan Events to promote the welfare and conservation of these great apes.

They created this holiday, as well as Orangutan Caring Week, to support these objectives and to help secure a better future for orangutans. These holidays continue to be celebrated to this day and will continue until orangutans have a better future.

Some Interesting Facts About Orangutans

Below are some facts about orangutans that we think everyone will want to learn about. We uncovered the following facts through our intensive research on the subject. We believe that these facts will inspire our readers to conduct more of their own research on the subject.

• There are three different species of orangutans: the Bornean, the Sumatran, and the Tapanuli.
• All three orangutan species are endangered.
• Hunting and deforestation are the biggest threats to orangutans.
• The average arm span of an orangutan is 2.2 meters.
• Orangutans use both their hands and feet.
• Orangutans stay with their mothers until they are about 7 years old.
• Orangutans will have offspring approximately every 9 years.
• Orangutans can live anywhere from 30 to 50 years of age, on average.
• Some orangutans use sticks to retrieve ants and termites from tree holes so they can eat them.

Observing International Orangutan Day

Everyone can observe this holiday in one capacity or another. Some people will observe this holiday by donating to an orangutan rescue organization or by adopting an orangutan through an organization such as RedApes.org.

Others will help spread the word about this holiday by posting pictures of orangutans on social media using the hashtag #InternationalOrangutanDay.