Mammals
Birds
Amphibians
Reptiles
Meet our inquisitive, play-fighting family of Sumatran orangutans
Our orangutans live in their beautiful island home with Hazel, the white-handed gibbon and Genta, our male northern white-cheeked gibbon. Their enclosure has high platforms to sit on, netting to rest in and ropes to swing on.
Alongside people-watching, they spend their days play-fighting, cuddling up with blankets made from hessian sacks, and enjoying the extra treats hidden around the islands.
Animal facts
Key facts about the Sumatran orangutan
I'm found in Indonesia
Sumatran orangutans live in the rainforests of northern Sumatra.
My favourite food is fruit
In the wild, Sumatran orangutans love durian fruit, which is notoriously smelly and tastes like sweet, cheesy, garlic custard!
I'm the largest tree-dwelling animal
Sumatran orangutans live in the trees and rarely travel across the forest floor.
96%
DNA shared with humans
40
Average life expectancy
1.7m
Adult male height
Orangutans at Jersey Zoo
Meet the family
Dagu – the dominant male
Recognisable by his flanges (cheek pads), Dagu is fascinated by children and often seen interacting with young visitors.
Dana – the protective mum
Dana was thought to be infertile until her 'miracle baby' arrived!
Anette – the inquisitive one
Relaxed mum to cheeky Jantho, Anette is very interested in people and often seen at the window interacting with visitors.
Jiwa – the cheeky chap
Jiwa loves wrestling with his half-brother Jantho, and enjoys playing with cardboard boxes and stealing food!
Jantho – the playful one
Jantho loves playing with Jiwa and is often seen hiding under sacks and eating blackberries from the bushes outside.
Struggling to survive in the wild
Orangutans are only found on the Southeast Asian islands of Sumatra and Borneo. There are three species of orangutan – Sumatran, Bornean and Tapanuli. In Malay, 'orang' means person and 'utan' means forest, making these tree-dwelling apes the people of the forest.
Sumatran orangutans are in critical danger of extinction, with wild populations in decline. They face a number of threats from humans including habitat destruction caused by commercial farming, and poaching for the illegal pet trade.
How your visit helps orangutans in the wild
The orangutans at Jersey Zoo play an important role in ensuring people are aware of their plight in the wild. They are ambassadors for their wild relatives, inspiring generations of visitors and conservationists to do more to protect them.
In partnership with the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP), Durrell is protecting these amazing apes by advising colleagues and helping with the design and build of the ‘Haven’, a centre for conservation and education near the city of Medan in Sumatra.
Help us care for our orangutans