Cheeky Monkey

Orangutan means 'people of the forest' in the native tongue of Borneo. These creatures' territory once spread across all of Southeast Asia and even up into southern China. Now their territory is restricted to Sumatra and Borneo.













This is a male orangutan, and a special guest to Ugly Overload. Did you know that they are 7 - 8 times stronger than the average male human? Like most apes, these creatures can get ugly, but few get as ugly as the males. See those cheek pads? That is what identifies a dominant male. They are meant both to attract females, and to intimidate males.

I can't speak for the attraction part, but the intimidation sure works on me. If one of these beasts stepped out in front of me in a dark alley, I would quickly empty my pockets and hand over my wallet, before he tore me limb from limb.

Photo courtesy: www.damisela.com.