The Tapanuli orangutan, only discovered in 2017, is the third species of orangutan alongside Bornean and Sumatran – and there are less than 800 of them left in the wild.
Tapanuli orangutans can be distinguished by their smaller, flatter faces, and are only found in the Tapanuli region of North Sumatra – hence their name.
Tapanuli orangutan
Orangutan Foundation has sent emergency funding to Scorpion Foundation who work with the Ministry of Forestry to protect this species. Following the devastating floods in Sumatra, many of Scorpion Foundation’s essential facilities were left destroyed including monitoring equipment, clinics and staff residences, with local staff forced to relocate.
Damage from floods in Sumatra sent to us by Scorpion Foundation
With less than 800 Tapanuli orangutans remaining, each and every individual is critical to the health of local populations. It is essential that we support those that are left and the forest habitats on which they rely.
Map of Tapanuli orangutan location
Orangutans only reside in a specific habitat, that being peat swamp forests. With deforestation continuing, habitat loss remains the leading threat to orangutans and the reason they are recognised as critically endangered by the IUCN.
The three orangutan species
Together, we can ensure that collective conservation efforts preserve remaining orangutan habitat in both Borneo and Sumatra, giving populations of all three sub-species a safe space to rear future populations.
Orangutan in swamp (Bain)
