Orangutans: Solitary Apes Closely Related to Humans

Orangutans lead a more solitary life than other apes. Males move through the forest alone, but mothers share a strong bond with their young. Infants stay with their mothers for seven years until they develop the skills to survive independently. Orangutans are extremely intelligent and genetically very similar to humans. They share 97 per cent of their DNA with humans, making orangutans the second closely-related ape to humans; chimpanzees have 99 per cent of DNA in common with humans.