Orangutans are intelligent, gentle great apes, and they spend most of their lives up in the trees. A good orangutan habitat is all about height, warmth and short grass. Give them a climbing rig and a few clever enrichment items and they'll be one of the most watched animals in the zoo.
Habitat size and group
- About 800 m² of habitat.
- One male with up to five females.
The barrier
- About 5 m. Orangutans are strong climbers.
- Concrete with glass viewing windows works well.
- A null barrier (water or terrain edge) sometimes works if you build it carefully, but test it.
Temperature
Orangutans need to stay above 18 °C. On a mountain or temperate map, add a habitat heater set to around 25 °C.
Ground and plants
- Short grass across the whole habitat.
- Light soil around feeding spots.
- Tropical and semi-aquatic trees, plus climbers (vines).
Climbing
This is the main event. Add a big climbing rig with ropes and platforms. Orangutans use it all the time, and it puts them up where guests can see them.
Only habitat items tagged as climbable count. Ordinary scenery won't satisfy the climbing need, even if it looks climbable.
Enrichment
Orangutans like puzzles and things to play with:
- Rolled feeder
- Musical keyboard. Guests love this one.
- Mirror mobile
- Drinking water
Tips
- Put a viewing window low down and a viewing platform up high so guests get both views.
- Orangutans are a great education species. Add boards about habitat loss, one of the main threats to wild orangutans.