Sumatran orangutan

What it is

The Sumatran orangutan is one of three living orangutan species, confined to northern Sumatra. IUCN lists it as Critically Endangered. The 2017 assessment estimated about 13,800 animals and a continuing decline. It is mostly arboreal and eats fruit.

Range

Aceh and North Sumatra, especially the Leuser ecosystem. It no longer occurs in southern Sumatra. Bornean and Tapanuli orangutans are separate species.

What happened

Logging, oil-palm plantations, roads, killing, and the pet trade have cut and isolated the forest. Orangutans breed slowly; a forest that looks green on a map can already be too small. The last 20,000 years on Sumatra included much more continuous lowland forest than remains.

When / status

Critically Endangered, declining, because of people.

Human role

Forest conversion — especially oil palm — plus hunting is the cause.

Sources

IUCN Red List (Pongo abelii, Critically Endangered, 2017 estimate ~13,800).