The orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) is unique among large primates because it is relatively solitary and lives in trees, whereas other large primates, such as humans, chimps, gorillas and baboons, live in social groups and spend most of their time on the ground. The name orangutan means "forest people" in the Malay language.
Female orangutans sometimes accompany each other while travelling and will eat together. Males, on the other hand, usually avoid one another. Orangutans travel less than 1km per day through their home ranges, moving from branch to branch at a leisurely pace. These apes sleep in nests high in trees, made from leafy branches. Like the other great apes, orangutans are intelligent animals, and have often been observed using tools. For example, they use large leaves as umbrellas to keep the rain off, and smaller leaves as pads to protect their hands and feet when moving through thorny vegetation.
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