Orangutans

Found in Indonesia and Malaysia on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, all three species of orangutans (Bornean, Sumatran, and Tapanuli) are classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN. Orangutan populations are plummeting due to the destruction of their habitat to make way for monoculture agriculture and timber plantations, logging, mining, infrastructure, and hydroelectric power projects. Closely linked to habitat destruction, the illegal killing of orangutans is also a key driver of orangutan population decline. Fire-setting to clear land for agricultural production often results in out-of-control wildfires that burn in and around orangutan habitat that directly and indirectly cause orangutan deaths.

The current outlook for orangutans is dire, yet orangutan range states possess the expertise and capacity to protect critically endangered orangutans and reverse their population declines. Achieving this will require political will at the highest levels and ambitious goal-setting in order to leverage the considerable resources available to take the steps necessary to save these irreplaceable species.