Why Orangutans?

Orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) are internationally recognized as endangered. Their numbers in the wild have dropped dramatically by 30-50% over the past 10 years, with about only 50,000 individuals remaining in Borneo and 7,300 in Sumatra, the only places worldwide they are currently found. Experts estimates that, without drastic interventions, orangutans could become extinct in as little as 20 years.

Today, unfortunately many plant and animal species are threatened with extinction. Why should we care particularly about orangutans?

Gunung Palung male Jari Manis traveling in the canopy (photo: Tim Laman)

Orangutans along with the other great apes (gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos) are our closest living relatives, sharing up to 99 percent of human DNA. More than other nonhuman animals, great apes enjoy a rich emotional existence in which they experience complex feelings such as happiness, empathy, and fear. They also share with humans the intellectual capacity to create and use tools and to learn and communicate using sign language. Given their human-like qualities, it can be argued that we have a moral obligation to save orangutans. But, there are also solid environmental reasons to make this a priority. Orangutans play a critical role in the forests they inhabit. Their fruit-dominated diet and large ranges mean they are excellent seed dispersers. Orangutans are thus critical for maintaining the health of their forested ecosystems, which in turn provide important environmental services to humanity. For example, studies indicate that one of the most efficient ways to limit global CO₂ emissions is to conserve remaining peatland forests, such as the ones orangutans inhabit, because they harbor vast amounts of carbon. Orangutans are also an "umbrella species". They require large tracts of forest to survive; thus, by protecting orangutan habitat, numerous other plant and animal species living in their forests are protected as well. Like all great apes, orangutans have long lifespans and "childhoods" and very low reproductive rates, which makes it difficult for them to recover from population crashes. Hence, they are particularly susceptible to extinction.

Click here to learn more about orangutans and their forest home.