omnivore

Asia

inhabit

injured

captured

depend

dependent

extinction

deforestation

critically

endangered

Tricky Words

OrangutansaregreatapeswhocanbefoundinAsia.TheyinhabitMalaysiaandIndonesiawheretheyliveintherainforestsontheislandsofBorneoandSumatra.

Orangutan

TherearethreetypesofOrangutanandallarecriticallyendangered.

TheirscientificnamesarePongoAbelii,PongoPygmaeous andPongotapanuliensis

Standingat4-5fttall,Orangutansareaboutthesameheightasan11yearoldhumanbuttheycanweighbetween5and12stonesmakingthemmuchheavierthanmostY6children!

Orangutansfeedonwildfruitsuchaslycheesandfigs,buttheyalsoeatbarkandinsectswhichmeanthattheyareanomnivorelikehumans.

Orangutansdependonthetreesintherainforestforfoodandforshelter.Theyhavebeenobserved,inthewild,usinglargeleavesasumbrellas.Becausetheyaresodependentonthetreesthismeansthattheyareindangerofextinctionbecauseofdeforestationandotherhumanactivitiessuchashunting.

Inthewildthesegreatapesoftenlivealoneandonaveragecanlivefor30– 40yearsiftheyarenotinjuredorcaptured.

Whataretheirsceintific names? Whatdotheyeat?

Orangutan

Howbigarethey?

Howlongdotheyliveinthewild?

Aninterestingfact:

Wheredotheylive?

Whyaretheybecomingendangered?

Orangutan

]

There’sa‘Rang-tan’inmybedroomThere’saRang-taninmybedroomandIdon’tknowwhattodo.Sheplayswithallmyteddiesandkeepsborrowingmyshoe.Shedestroysallofmyhouseplantsandshekeepsonshouting“ooo!”Shethrowsawaymychocolateandshehowlsatmyshampoo.There’saRang-taninmybedroomandIdon’twanthertostay.SoItoldthenaughtyRang-tanthatshehadtogoaway.OhRang-taninmybedroom,justbeforeyougo…Whywereyouinmybedroom?Ireallywanttoknow.

There’sahumaninmyforestandIdon’tknowwhattodo.Hedestroyedallofourtreesforyourfoodandyourshampoo.

There’sahumaninmyforestandIdon’tknowwhattodo.HetookawaymymotherandI’mscaredhe’lltakemetoo.

TherearehumansinmyforestandIdon’tknowwhattodo.They’reburningitforpalmoilsoIthoughtI’dstaywithyou.

OhRang-taninmybedroomnowIdoknowwhattodo.I’llfighttosaveyourhomeandI’llstopyoufeelingblue.I’llshareyourstoryfarandwidesootherscanfighttoo.OhRang-taninmybedroomIswearitonthestarsThefuture’snotyetwrittenbutI’llmakesureitisours.

DearPrimeMinister,

Iamsurethatyoureceivemanyletters.Thisletterisonewhichmustnotbeignored.Thisletterisoftheutmostimportance.Thislettercomestoyouwithapleathatyouwillpromisetohelpsaveaninnocent,endangeredanimal:theorangutan.

Idon’tknowifyouareaware,butorangutansareonlyfoundintherainforestsofAsia.TheyliveinMalaysia,Indonesia,BorneoandSumatra.Thesegreatapesrelyupontherainforesttoprovidethemwithfoodandshelter.Infact,didyouknowthattheirnameliterallymeans‘personoftheforest’.Orangutansoftenlivealoneforupto40years,iftheyarenotcaptured,andarearoundthesameheightasaYear6child.Thesemajesticcreaturesareintelligentandbeautiful.However,theyareindangerofbecomingextinctunlessweworktogetherdosomethingaboutit.