Fu Manchu was an orangutan in a zoo. He escaped often. The keepers were confused. They found he used a wire to pick the lock. Orangutans are smart. They live in forests and learn from their mothers. Babies stay with their moms for years. They learn to climb and eat different plants.
Orangutans copy faces and smile like humans. They build nests every night with twigs and leaves. They also use tools, like sticks for scratching and leaves for bandages. Orangutans can plan ahead. One picked a straw instead of food, thinking he might need it later.
But they face problems. Forests are being destroyed for palm oil. Poachers hunt them, but orphaned babies are rescued and taught survival skills. Orangutans show strength and can recover. "Orangutan" means "person of the forest." To save them, humans must act wisely and with care.