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At what age do wild female orangutans usually first give birth?

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An illustration of a female Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) with long reddish-brown fur, hanging from tree branches with one arm extended upward and one leg hooked over a branch. A scale bar at the bottom shows lengths of 30 centimeters and 12 inches for size reference. — orangutan Female orangutans (*Pongo*) have the longest breeding interval of any mammal, giving birth on average once every eight years.

In the wild, female orangutans generally give birth for the first time when they are 15 or 16 years of age. While this is the typical age for wild populations, it is worth noting that females in captivity have been known to give birth as young as 7 years old.1