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How do orangutans walk on the ground?

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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.

Orangutans are primarily arboreal animals, spending more than 90 percent of their time in the trees. When they do descend to the ground, they are relatively slow, and a person can easily keep pace with them.1

Unlike African apes, such as gorillas and chimpanzees, which utilize knuckle walking, orangutans do not move in this manner. Instead, when traveling on the ground, they walk on their closed fists or extended palms.12