Sumatran Orangutan
Pongo abelii
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderPrimates
- FamilyHominidae (Great Apes)
- GenusPongo (Orangutans)
- SpeciesPongo abelii (Sumatran Orangutan)
About the Sumatran Orangutan
The Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) is one of the three species of orangutans. Critically endangered, and found only in the north of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, it is rarer than the Bornean orangutan but more common than the recently identified Tapanuli orangutan, also found in Sumatra.
Male Sumatran orangutans grow to about 1.7 m (5.6 ft) tall and 90 kg (200 lb), while females are smaller, averaging 90 cm (3.0 ft) and 45 kg (99 lb). Compared to the Bornean species, Sumatran orangutans are thinner and have longer faces; their hair is longer and has a paler red color.
Fossil orangutans in Sumatra from the Pleistocene had similar diets to present day Sumatran orangutans, consisting mainly of soft fruit as evidenced by dental microwear. Compared with the Bornean orangutan, the Sumatran orangutan tends to be more frugivorous and especially insectivorous. Preferred fruits include figs and jackfruits. It will also eat bird eggs and small vertebrates. Sumatran orangutans spend far less time feeding on the inner bark of trees.
Wild Sumatran orangutans in the Suaq Balimbing swamp have been observed using tools. An orangutan... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Gunung Leuser National Park
Thomas’s Langur
Presbytis thomasi
Crab-eating Macaque
Macaca fascicularis
Southern Pig-tailed Macaque
Macaca nemestrina
Lar Gibbon
Hylobates lar
Silvered Leaf Monkey
Trachypithecus cristatus
Siamang
Symphalangus syndactylus
Black Sumatran Langur
Presbytis sumatrana
Sumatra Slow Loris
Nycticebus hilleri
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gunung Leuser National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 2 | Kerinci Seblat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Sumatran Orangutan in Gunung Leuser National Park?
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Sumatran Orangutan sighting in Gunung Leuser National Park, based on 354 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Sumatran Orangutan in Gunung Leuser National Park?
June has the highest sighting rate for Sumatran Orangutan in Gunung Leuser National Park in our monthly data.