Why can’t orangutans jump?

Answer

Dear Eus,

Orangutans can jump, but this was rarely observed, mainly as a flight behavior. It is certainly the case that it is rare.
Orangutans are the largest and heaviest primates living almost exclusively in the treetops. Their weight makes jumping unattractive, and moreover, the branches in the tree canopy can break with sudden movements, with all the associated dangers. For these two reasons, orangutans are not jumpers in their normal locomotion.
In order to get from one branch to another (sometimes they are far apart) they have found something else: they allow themselves to be gently swung back and forth, making use of the elasticity of the branches. They whip until they can grab the next branch. English scientists have calculated that this way of locomotion is not only safer, but that it consumes half the energy of jumping, and ten times less than making a detour through the ground to get into a neighboring tree.

Kind regards!

Kristiaan D’Aoit