Forest gardeners' orangutans face severe extinction risk

Orangutans, often called the 'gardeners of the forest' for their crucial role in seed dispersal, are facing a severe extinction crisis, with all three known species critically endangered. These great apes, sharing 97% of human DNA, are vital to the health of tropical rainforest ecosystems.

Experts emphasize the urgent need to reconnect fragmented habitats, which have been decimated by logging, land clearing, and fires, largely driven by the expansion of palm oil plantations. The destruction and fragmentation of forests isolate orangutan populations, reducing mating opportunities and weakening genetic diversity.

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To protect orangutans from various threats, a comprehensive approach is needed that preserves 'connected forests' where they can live, move, and reproduce safely, not just individual animals.

The Bornean orangutan population is estimated to have plummeted by 100,000 in just 16 years between 1999 and 2015. The Sumatran orangutan population numbers fewer than 14,000, while the Tapanuli orangutan, the rarest, has only about 800 individuals remaining in the wild. Climate change and extreme weather events, such as recent floods and landslides on Sumatra that killed approximately 58 Tapanuli orangutans, further exacerbate the threats.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) advocates for a comprehensive approach to orangutan conservation, focusing on preserving and restoring interconnected forest landscapes. Their long-term efforts include reforestation projects, such as planting over 345,000 trees in Borneo to restore 2,400 hectares of forest, which now supports an estimated 400 orangutans.

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The most crucial task is reconnecting fragmented forests.