Zoo database

Orangutan

Pongo spp.

Natural diet Orangutan

Fruits
Insects
Leaves

Orangutans are herbivorous primates that primarily eat fruits such as figs, durians, and other tropical fruits. Next to this, they also consume a variety of leaves, bark, and young shoots, especially when fruits are scarce. In scarcity, they may also resort to eating insects, bird eggs and small vertebrates like lizards and rodents.

Feeding advice Orangutan

Feed quantity per day

3-5% of body weight

Sample percentage calculation

If an animal weighs 80 kg and eats 4% of its body weight, it will get

80 x 0.04 = 3.2 kg feed in total per day

Feed composition

9% Concentrates
40% Leafy and cabbage vegetables
30% Other vegetables
20% Browse
1% Other

Proportions (fresh product)

0.09 x 3.2 kg = 288 g concentrates
0.4 x 3.2 kg = 1280 g leafy and cabbage vegetables
0.3 x 3.2 kg = 960 g other vegetables
0.2 x 3.2 kg = 640 g browse
0.01 x 3.2 kg = 32 g other

Diet suggestions

In moderation

Nuts and seeds

Insects

Starchy/ sweet vegetables

Not recommended

Fruits

Animal products (meat, dairy or eggs)

Additional advice

Divide the “Feed quantity per day” over at least three feeding moments per day.
Supplement a diverse selection of vegetables (read more about differences between vegetables).
Although present in their natural diets, feeding fruits might lead to gastro-intestinal disturbances because of the high sugar level and low fiber level in cultivated fruits compared to wild fruits (read more about nutritional values of (wild) fruits and vegetables).
Provide less palatable or dry food in the morning, when hunger is greatest.
Feeding in bowls is not recommended.
Stimulate foraging behaviour by hiding, stacking or hanging the feed. Examples can be feeding puzzles, tubes, hanging boxes and/ or scatter feeding (read more about feed enrichment and foraging behaviour).

Common diseases

An unbalanced diet may result in one of these more commonly occurring diseases/conditions:

Vitamin D deficiency
Metabolic bone disease
Obesity

Species within this group

Bornean orangutan
Sumatran orangutan

Feed quantity per day

Sample percentage calculation

Feed composition

Proportions (fresh product)

DK Trainings Biscuits L

DK Leaf-eater L

DK Maintenance Hi-Fibre (Primate)

Crickets

Walnut leaves - 10-20 kg bag

Eddy van Donkersgoed

Manager Operations