Meet Pongo the orangutan, a charming primate who resides in the peat-swamp forests of Borneo and Sumatra. Pongo’s name is derived from the Latin term for orangutan… Pongo! With her eye-catching auburn appearance and wide eyes, she is undoubtedly a true character in the forests!

Pongo has the potential to live up to 45 years, and like the creature of habit that she is, loves to dedicate many of her days to her favourite pastimes, such as swinging between trees, caring for her young, and foraging for her favourite tasty fruits (such as lychees, durians and figs). Pongo also fancies herself a jungle architect, and can often be spotted building robust treetop nests to support herself and her family’s weight. A female orangutan can weigh up to 37kg kilograms, just half of the size of a typical male!

Don’t be fooled by her large stature, as Pongo is truly a gentle soul at heart… as long as she isn’t threatened! Unfortunately, orangutans like Pongo are decreasing in number in the wild, and activities such as illegal logging mean that all three orangutan species and other treetop dwelling species are suffering extreme habitat loss. Orangutans are now classed as a ‘critically endangered’ animal.

Illustration by Tom Levesley