I’m not planning to have an orangutan as a pet, but I’ve always wondered. I know that primates like chimps are dangerous, but what about orangutans? If you raised one from birth and trained it, could it make a good pet? I’ve never seen one act aggressively. When they do fight with other orangutans, they seem pretty weak. They seem so friendly, and I feel like I could be great friends with one.
It’s not very likely. Orangutans aren’t as aggressive as other great apes, but they are incredibly strong and could easily overpower a human, especially the males. They tend to be more solitary, unlike chimps or gorillas who fight in groups, but they can still be violent if they cross paths in the wild. If you read Dr. Gladikas’ work or the accounts from others working with her, you’d be shocked at how aggressive orangutans can get. They’re fascinating animals though.
No, no way. I work with orangutans at a zoo. They might seem sweet, but they are still wild animals and can be dangerous. Males, especially, can get very aggressive once they reach puberty. Females might not be as strong, but they can still hurt you. Plus, the only way you’d get a baby orangutan is if its mother was killed, since they stay with their mom for about 8 years. I’m glad you’re not planning to get one as a pet. Also, raising an animal from babyhood doesn’t domesticate it. It’ll still grow into an adult, and it won’t be human-like at all.
@West
But what kind of aggression have you actually seen in orangutans? And do you think a human, if equally aggressive, could deter an orangutan?
Vitt said:
@West
But what kind of aggression have you actually seen in orangutans? And do you think a human, if equally aggressive, could deter an orangutan?
You think you can stop a fully grown ape? They’d kill you in seconds. They’re way too smart to be kept as pets. You wouldn’t be able to give them what they need.
@Xian
Was your mom an orangutan or something?
Vitt said:
@West
But what kind of aggression have you actually seen in orangutans? And do you think a human, if equally aggressive, could deter an orangutan?
I haven’t seen an orangutan act aggressively myself. If you’re basing your thoughts on one random person’s experience, sure, you could say orangutans are just cute and fuzzy, and we just need to mold them into not-being-orangutans. But that’s not realistic. Let’s think about it. Keepers at zoos often talk about how much risk they’re willing to take with animals. If the risk is life-threatening, zoos make sure their staff doesn’t have direct contact with certain animals. Orangutans can have different personalities, but if they get angry, they know how to show it. Their bite is 3-4 times stronger than a human’s. They’re considered one of the strongest animals on earth. An aggressive human won’t be able to deter an orangutan. I’d suggest just enjoying orangutans at the zoo instead.
They’re more peaceful, so I guess if you gave them something to do and didn’t keep them alone, they might be alright.
No way. A chimp might rip your face off, but an orangutan would just learn your routine and put a pillow over your face while you sleep. They’re super smart and could find ways to hurt you without you even realizing it. They’re huge and strong. They would make terrible pets because they’d need constant stimulation and could be plotting ways to kill you.
It’s not a good idea to keep them as pets. But, if you lived in the rainforest and wild ones came around sometimes, that could be okay.
Sadly, orangutans are critically endangered, which means they are illegal to keep as pets everywhere. Plus, they grow really big. Even though they aren’t typically aggressive like chimps, if they did lash out, it could be as dangerous as a gorilla’s attack, which could definitely result in death.
I love how no one answered this as a ‘what if’ and instead just started acting all high and mighty. Like, we get it, it’s bad to keep them as pets, but why not just answer the question?
Milo said:
I love how no one answered this as a ‘what if’ and instead just started acting all high and mighty. Like, we get it, it’s bad to keep them as pets, but why not just answer the question?
I know, right? Most people are just acting like moral police. We get that it’s bad to keep them as pets, but no one is actually answering the question here.
I get the ‘what if’ part of the question, so I’m not saying it’s a silly idea. But, in general, taking any wild animal and trying to keep it as a pet is a bad choice. Even social animals need to interact with others, and humans can’t replace that. Solitary animals probably don’t want to be around anyone. Even if you raised one from a baby, they might be lonely and depressed, or they could get angry and upset. You can’t really ‘own’ a wild animal ethically without supporting poachers or the illegal exotic pet trade. Keeping an orangutan as a pet would make you part of that horrible market. Plus, while I’ve never seen an orangutan act aggressively, I wouldn’t want to fight one.
An orangutan tried to kidnap me as a kid, so maybe not.
Weak? Orangutans swing through the trees with just their hands!
Kiran said:
Weak? Orangutans swing through the trees with just their hands!
I can do the same thing on monkey bars 
not exactly the same, but you get the idea.
Kiran said:
Weak? Orangutans swing through the trees with just their hands!
I can do the same thing on monkey bars not exactly the same, but you get the idea.
But orangutans do it all day, every day, once they’re past the stage of clinging to their moms.
@Kiran
I’ve seen bodybuilders who don’t work out legs. They’re top-heavy, and a good kick could probably stop them 
Vitt said:
@Kiran
I’ve seen bodybuilders who don’t work out legs. They’re top-heavy, and a good kick could probably stop them
I have no respect for bodybuilders. They put in a lot of effort to create huge, unbalanced bodies that make them look ridiculous and walk weird. It’s a weird obsession with pain and self-damage.