Are orangutans the deadbeat dads of the primate world?

Male orangutans have virtually no parental care or investment in their young. Instead, they funnel their energies into mating and defending their territories against rival males. And, of course, upholding those fabulous facial flanges. How common is this parental care system among great apes? And do male orangutans have the capacity to be invested fathers?

A male orangutan looks directly at the camera, his vivid red hair in contrast to the green surroundings.

Photo credit: Zac Mills, the Wildlife Collective

The Role of Males in Orangutan Society

Orangutans live in semi-solitary societies where (aside from mothers and babies) individuals spend most of their time alone. Male orangutans provide zero parental care to offspring. They do not carry, share food, socialise or groom infants at all. Instead, they allocate their energy towards mating and competition with rival males. But how do orangutans stack up against other great apes?

Gorillas and Fatherhood

Gorillas are arguably the most invested fathers; they have the highest level of interaction with infants. This is driven by their social structure, where a single dominant silverback protects the harem. This means paternity certainty is very high, and the social group is relatively stable. Fathers will play and groom infants, showing tolerance towards them and even allowing them to sleep in their nests.

Chimpanzees and Bonobos as Dads

Chimpanzees live in large social groups with lower paternal certainty. While they are more hands-off than gorillas, male chimpanzees can be dutiful fathers. They recognise their own offspring and spend time grooming and caring for them. As for bonobos, who live in a female-dominant society, the males do not actively raise young, but show tolerance and contribute to the group as a whole.

Do Orangutans Have the Capacity for Fatherhood?

Do male orangutans have the capacity for fatherhood or is it simply not in their nature? One study found that when socially housed in zoos, adult males engage in direct paternal behaviour (play and food sharing) and indirect (proximity and tolerance). However, infants initiate most of the interactions. One famous Sumatran orangutan, Berani, stepped in to raise his daughter when her mother died.

Overall, this suggests that adult male orangutans do possess the cognitive and behavioural capacity to become invested fathers, but that their unpredictable rainforest home leads them to abandon parenting efforts entirely. Their solitary lives enable them to prioritise their own survival and reproduction, which this comes at energetic cost of raising their young.