(
*———(1987b) “Male Life History and the Social Structure of Wild Mountain Gorillas (
IDENTIFICATION: A medium-sized ape (adult males generally weigh around 170 pounds) with a long, reddish brown coat; some older males develop prominent cheek pads or “flanges.” DISTRIBUTION: Sumatra, Borneo (Indonesia); vulnerable. HABITAT: Swamps, lowland and mountain rain forests. STUDY AREAS: Ketambe region of North Sumatra, Indonesia, subspecies
Social Organization
Adult Orang-utans are largely solitary—males and females live separate from each other and interact only when the female is ready to mate. Younger Orangs, however, are more sociable and may actively seek each other’s company and interact in groups. The mating system is polygynous: males copulate with multiple females and no long-lasting heterosexual pairing occurs, although males and females may “consort” together for shorter periods during mating. Males do not participate in parenting.
Description
Sexual behavior often occurs within a “bonding” or special friendship-like pairing between younger animals of the same sex. Two males or two females may become quite attached, following one another over several days, playing together (including play-wrestling), sharing food, and generally spending a great deal of time together and coordinating their activities. One partner may even throw a “temper tantrum” when the other ventures too far away or fails to wait for its companion. Female Orangs have also been known to compete with males for sexual access to a favorite female partner with whom they later develop a bonded relationship. Same-sex companions demonstrate a number of affectionate behaviors toward each other—females, for example, may embrace, cling to one other, walk in tandem, or groom each other, and males may “kiss” each other. While in some cases this mouth-to-mouth contact may be for the exchange of food or drink, in other cases it appears to be more of an affectionate or greeting gesture. Such companionships also develop between animals of the opposite sex, and indeed they resemble in many ways the “consortships” that sometimes characterize heterosexual mating relations. Companionships, however, need not involve any sexual contact, whether between animals of the same or opposite sex.
Homosexual interactions sometimes also occur between male Orangs and Crab-eating Macaques. These monkeys often associate with Orangs, feeding in the same areas and interacting nonaggressively. Orangs and Crab-eating Macaques may groom each other, and male Orang-utans will occasionally suck the penis of an adult male Crab-eating Macaque.
Transgendered Orang-utans occasionally occur as well: individuals have been found who are physically male yet have a female (XX) chromosome pattern.
Nonreproductive and Alternative Heterosexualities
A wide variety of nonprocreative heterosexual activities are found in Orang-utans. Both males and females often stimulate their partner’s genitals with their mouth or hands, and females may also rub their genitals against the male. The female has a prominent clitoris that is stimulated during intercourse, and she often takes the initiative in heterosexual activity, actually mounting the male, manually guiding his penis into her, and performing pelvic thrusts while he lies on his back. A variety of positions are used for heterosexual copulation, including face- to-face (the most common), front-to-back, and sideways. In almost 30 percent of mounts, vaginal penetration and/or ejaculation do not occur. Anal stimulation can be a component of heterosexual interactions as well: both males and females lick, suck, blow on, insert fingers into, and rub their genitals on their partner’s anus; males have also been known to engage in anal intercourse (penetration) with females. Females may consort and copulate with multiple male partners, and copulation can occur throughout pregnancy up to the time of birth. Masturbation is also common among Orangs—females rub their fingers or foot on their clitoris or insert a finger or toe into their vagina, while males rub their penises with their fist or foot. Both males and females also use inanimate objects or “tools” to masturbate. Males sometimes become sexually aroused and spontaneously ejaculate during long-calling (a courtship and territorial vocalization used by mature males). Mothers frequently engage in incestuous contact with their infants, manually or orally stimulating the penis or clitoris (or being stimulated by the infant), and may even mount the infants.
Heterosexual relations are sometimes characterized by aggression and violence rather than pleasure and consensuality. Younger males often chase, harass, and rape females. During such interactions, which may account for the majority of copulations in some populations, the male may grab, slap, bite, and forcibly restrain the female, who struggles violently while screaming or whimpering. Occasionally (about 7-8 percent of the time) she does