The name “orangutan” literally translates into English as “person of the forest”. It comes from Malay and Bahasa.
Orangutans are extremely intelligent creatures and have similarities to humans. Baby orangutans are very like human babies, they cry when they're hungry, whimper when they’re hurt and smile at their mothers. 
Infants are so attached to their mums that they ride on her body and sleep in her nest until they develop their own skills to survive on their own. Because of this long learning curve, orangutans only have young once every 7 – 9 years, which is the longest birth interval of any land mammal. 
The destruction and degradation of the tropical rain forest, particularly lowland forest, in Borneo and Sumatra is the main reason orangutans are threatened with extinction. Additionally, the illegal animal trade has been a factor in the decline of wild orangutan populations.