In Malay and Indonesian, orang means 'person' and utan is derived from hutan, which means 'forest'.
From a natural population of one million, now only 14,000 Sumatran orangutans remain in Indonesia, as the rainforest shrinks to make way for cash crops such as palm oil.
Australian primatologist Leif Cocks has spent three decades campaigning on behalf of orangutans.
He says the mistreatment of these 'persons of the forest' reflects the incivility of our own species.
Cocks began working with orangutans at Perth Zoo. At that time he was a young man with no specific training in their ways.
He tells Kathryn Ryan that his lack of preconceptions enabled him to discover how the primates are far closer to 'persons' than animals.
In zoos, orangutans aren't treated badly, Cocks says, but to thrive they need their own environments and societies.
He likens zoos to refugee camps.
"It's a place where good people, humanitarians, may be looking after them, but because they're separated from their society and their cultural environment and their freedom is restricted, we see great suffering."
Orangutans are known to escape zoos, using their advanced ability to plan, Cocks says.
One that he worked with created a ladder in a wall by removed every third brick up the wall. When the keeper was around she replaced the bricks to conceal her plan.
What about the idea that attributing 'personhood' to primates is anthropomorphisation?
Cocks argues that it's "unscientific" to presume differences between the human and orangutan experience while these remain unproven.
"Accusing other animals of not having the same feelings and awareness as us - without scientific proof - is actually unscientific."
Orangutans are the most intelligent being after humans, he says, and far more intelligent than other primates.
"If you give a screwdriver to a gorillla it'll scratch itself with it, if you give a screwdriver to a chimpanzee it'll probably throw it at another chimp, if you give an screwdriver to an organutan it'll escape."
In some ways orangutans are more emotionally intelligent than humans, says Cocks.
As a result of intensive parenting they are often more psychologically independent and emotionally stable than us.
"The more loving and secure environment you give an ape in its infancy, the more confident and secure they'll grow up to be as adults."
As a species, orangutans have what Cocks describes as a "noble pacifist nature".
In general, they are less combative than humans as a result being less clannish, he says. Most humans never manage to outgrow the ancient 'clan brain' which only allows identification with about 120 other beings.
"The people who control our world - just like most human brings - don't have the capacity to have compassion and foresight beyond their clan."
Cocks believes that if the measure of society is how we treat the powerless - animals included - the destruction of orangutans and their environment is a sad reflection of so-called civilisation.
He says it's time for humans to "get over ourselves" and understand we're not unique and special.
"We're only different in kind and degree. In fact, we're just another great ape."
Leif Cocks is the founder and president of the international charity The Orangutan Project, which is working to save in particular the Sumatran orangutan.
