In Malay, 'Orangutan' means 'old man of the forest' because, before Orangutan's were defined as a separate species of Primate to humans, many sightings of them in the wild led people to believe that they were holy men with the ability to swing in trees. Orangutans live high in the trees, rarely venturing down to the ground where their predators lurk. In the trees they are safe from harm.
All of their nourishment is found in trees. They drink the water in the leaves and eat the fruit on the branches. They also mix their diet with bark, seeds, eggs, insects, and soil. The fact that fruit trees are scarce, and they have to eat a great amount of food because of the size of their bodies, Orangutans do not live in large groups. In fact, many Orangutans travel and live alone. Most of their activity is during the day, and at times, the males make long calls, which, as well as detering other males, attracts the females as possible mating partners.
