World Orangutan Day - 19 August

There’s a lot to learn about the diet, behaviour, and habitat of these great apes. Who better to share some insights than William Joseph – Senior Programme Assistant for Orangutan Conservation at WWF-Malaysia.

William monitors orangutans across Sabah including in Bukit Piton Forest Reserve – a site where WWF has worked to restore with partners since 2007 after forest fires and years of logging. He never tires of monitoring their interesting behaviours even after 25 years of experience working in conservation. He records their behaviour, including what they eat. 

Orangutans are primarily frugivorous, meaning fruit makes up the largest portion of their diet. But during the non-fruiting seasons – when popular seasonal fruits like durian and mangosteen are less available – orangutans will more often resort to leaves, bark, and insects like termites and ants.