ENDANGERED SPECIES - ORANGUTANID92920056
COIN A.P.E. ORANGUTAN
For the year 2022, being aware of the importance of conserving the integrity and diversity of nature by ensuring the equitable and sustainable use of natural resources, the FNMT-RCM is issuing a collection of 16 coins dedicated to a selection of endangered animals catalogued as Critically Endangered (CR) and included in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
The complete collection consists of sixteen coins, issued in the year 2022, and an album-case in which to store them in an orderly fashion.
On the obverse, in a central circular area, an image of orang-utans (Pongo pygmaeus) is reproduced in colour. At the top, in a circular shape and in capital letters, the legend ORANGUTAN. At the bottom, in a circular shape and in capitals, the legend ESPAÑA (SPAIN) and the year of issue 2022.
On the reverse (common to all the coins), within a central circle, the legend ANIMALS IN DANGER OF EXTINCTION appears at the top, in a circular shape and in capital letters; below it, the value of the coin 1.5 EURO, in two lines and in capital letters; and, below it, the mint mark.
| Series | Endangered Species |
| Year | 2022 |
| Colour | Yes |
| Diameter (mm) | 33 |
| Face Value (Euro) | 1.5 |
| Metal | Cupronickel |
| Weight (g) | 15 |
| Maximum Mintage (units) | 5,000 |
ORANGUTÁN OF BORNEO (Pongo pygmaeus)
They only live on two islands in Southeast Asia: Borneo and Sumatra, which makes them particularly vulnerable to deforestation for oil palm cultivation. In addition, their low reproductive rate and poaching or capture for sale as exotic pets have made them one of the most endangered primate species in the world.
The Bornean orangutan has a characteristic reddish fur and a morphology very well adapted to arboreal life, unlike African apes, which have more terrestrial habits. They are solitary animals, apart from the mating period, the only social interaction they have is the relationship between the mother and her offspring. This relationship lasts for many years. It is the animal on the planet in which the dependence of the offspring on its mother lasts the longest, which is an obstacle to the proliferation of this species.
Like the African great apes, orangutans share much of their DNA with humans. They are endowed with great intelligence, which enables them to make and use tools to facilitate the collection of food (fruits, leaves, honey, insects or birds' eggs). This intelligence is also demonstrated by making nests or beds of branches to spend the night in the trees, at high altitude, and thus keep away from their scarce natural predators, such as the Sumatran tiger or the clouded panther.
After gorillas, they are the second largest primates, with a height of around 1.50 m and a weight of up to 100 kg in the case of adult males. They are animals with a marked sexual dimorphism, with males having very large cheeks or flanges, a symbol of their maturity and dominance, especially striking in the Bornean species, which has similar throat pouches.