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  • Things to Do
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  • Mandai Wildlife Reserve
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  • Orangutan

Orangutan

Find me in
Orangutan Island
  • Quick Facts
  • Get to Know
  • Meet the Family
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Quick facts

Lifespan

Lifespan

35 to 40 years in the wild

Up to 60 years under human care

fruits

Diet

Variety of fruits

Also leaves, barks, flowers and insects

Habitat

Habitat

Tropical rainforests

Arboreal, lives in trees

range

Range

Parts of Borneo and Sumatra

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The orangutans

Largest tree-dwelling mammals

Orangutans are apes, which means that unlike monkeys, they do not have a tail. Found in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra, they have special feet with long toes for grasping branches, and long limbs that can stretch out far so that they can move easily through the treetops.

Orangutan babies stay with their mother for 7 to 8 years to learn survival skills. Play is an important way for them to learn these skills.

Ah Meng and Singapore Zoo

Ah Meng was our own homegrown celebrity. She came to Singapore Zoo at the tender age of seven and rose to stardom in the 1980s as the gracious host of our “Breakfast with Orangutan”. She became the first and only animal to be conferred the ‘Special Tourism Ambassador’ award. Everyone who has rubbed shoulders with Ah Meng has a story to tell.

When she passed on in 2008, 4,000 people turned up to pay their final respects. Our yearly Safari Zoo Run is dedicated in her memory. Ah Meng’s grand daughter Ishta has been named the new Ah Meng for her resemblance to her grandmother.
All in the name

All in the name

Ah Meng was named by the Chinese family that had kept her illegally.

One of our impressive Sumatran male orangutans, Charlie was probably named so as a British school had sponsored him while he was at Malaysia’s national zoo.

Anita, one of our senior female orangutans, was named after singer Anita Sarawak, who donated her to our zoo.

Galdikas carries the name of famed primatologist Dr Birute Galdikas, and is the father of Ishta, the new Ah Meng.
Like one of their own

Like one of their own

When Ishta was younger, her mother Sayang fell sick and was unable to care for her. In a show of kinship, rarely seen in orangutans, Chomel adopted Ishta and cared for her like one of her own. At around the same time, Anita also adopted Endah, Ishta’s sister.

Ah Meng was known to adopt the orphaned young of other females and it is possible this is a learnt behaviour that Chomel and Anita had picked up from her.

Two’s company, three’s a crowd

Our orangutans are notoriously picky about the company they keep. They form lifetime bonds with their keepers, to the point of possessiveness. Even our grande dame, Ah Meng, lost her cool when her lifetime caretaker, Sam, was seen getting too chummy with a French lady researcher.

As a rule of thumb, junior keepers work alongside orangutans for a minimum of two years before they attain the level of trust necessary to bring the primates out for visitor interactions.

Meet the family

Binton

Binton

Seizes every chance to enjoy a piggyback ride on adult orangutans

 

 

 

Labu

Labu

Has a habit of snatching food from his group members

 

 

 

Satria

Satria

Often refuses to go back to his night quarters

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Suria

Suria

Enjoys the attention of his keepers

Veera

Veera

Loves to tease other orangutans by pulling their fur

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The keeper

Zoo keeper

Jeremy Chew

Deputy Head Keeper
Zoo keeper

Jeremy Chew

Deputy Head Keeper

So, how long have you been working with the orangutans?

I’ve always worked with the orangutans, from back when I joined in 1997. In 2004, I had to stop due to a very bad traffic accident. The doctor could not give me a definite answer as to whether I could walk again. But I missed Singapore Zoo so much that I even came back in my wheelchair to visit!
Zoo keeper

Jeremy Chew

Deputy Head Keeper
I’m glad you’ve made a full recovery. When did you re-join the zoo?
Zoo keeper

Jeremy Chew

Deputy Head Keeper

I’m glad you’ve made a full recovery. When did you re-join the zoo?

I came back in 2011. My first day back at work was a bit emotional for me. Anita, one of the adult females I had taken care of from the start, took one look at me and immediately came over to hold my hand. Seven years had passed but she still remembered me. The bond was not broken.
Zoo keeper

Jeremy Chew

Deputy Head Keeper
Zoo keeper

Jeremy Chew

Deputy Head Keeper

How would you sum up your experience as a keeper?

It’s more of a lifestyle than a job. I probably spend more time with the orangutans than my wife! Having a passion for the animals makes it easier. I get satisfaction from gaining their trust and being accepted. It’s a unique work environment - where else in Singapore can I get to work with orangutans?
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Orangutan Keeper Talk

Free-Ranging Orangutan Island 11:00am & 3:30pm

Learn more about our wildlife from the people who know best — the keepers. In this interactive session, hear interesting quirks of the orangutans from our keepers.

Adopt an Animal

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Ah Meng

Sumatran Orangutan

Named after her well-loved grandmother, Ah Meng is sociable and affectionate, and cares deeply for the other orang utans in her habitat. She enjoys the occasional durian treat, and is observed to be very particular about cleanliness.

Adopt Ah Meng

Together, we protect wildlife

Safety net for the species

Safety net for the species

Both the Sumatran and Bornean orangutans are critically endangered – the latter was reclassified recently, from endangered status to reflect the magnitude of threats from habitat loss and illegal hunting.

Managing orangutan populations in zoos ensures the survival of the species. It also allows members of the public to appreciate and learn more about them, and hopefully with emotional connection, comes the desire to protect these 'men of the forest’. 

The IUCN Status

CR

Critically Endangered

At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species.

DD

Data Deficient

Unknown risk of extinction

LC

Least Concern

At relatively low risk of extinction

NT

Near Threatened

Likely to become vulnerable in the near future

VU

Vulnerable

At high risk of extinction in the wild

EN

Endangered

At very high risk of extinction in the wild

CR

Critically Endangered

At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild

EW

Extinct in the Wild

Survives only in captivity

EX

Extinct

No surviving individuals in the wild or in captivity

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Breakfast in the Wild

Fri, Sat, Sun & Public Holiday Ah Meng Restaurant (Terrace) 9:00am – 10:30am

Start your day well with this iconic dining experience designed to inspire a love for wildlife and delight your senses!

Savour a hearty meal of local and international flavours in our charming rainforest zoo and meet our wildlife ambassadors and their keepers.

Find out more

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Every visit to our parks comes with

Every visit to our parks comes with
Find out how, together, we're creating a better future for wildlife and the planet.

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