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How large can a male orangutan grow in the wild?

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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, an adult male orangutan can reach a height of approximately 1.3 meters (4.3 feet) and attain a weight of 130 kg (285 pounds).12

These great apes exhibit significant sexual dimorphism, with adult males typically being twice the size of females. While adult males are characterized by their impressive size and secondary sexual features—such as prominent cheek pads and a throat pouch—subadult males are smaller, though they are still generally as large as or larger than adult females.2