Orang-Utans (“person of the forest”), classified under the genus “Pongo” were considered to be one species. In 1996, the branch was divided into two: Bornean (P. pygmaeus) and Sumatran (P. abelii). Tapanuli Orangutan (P. tapanuliensis), the third species, discovered in 2017 has only 800 individuals surviving in wild (marking it ‘Critically Endangered’ by #IUCN) and the numbers will drop in future.
Sumatra’s Tapanuli Orangutans are in great threat, not only because of the expansion of nearby oil palm plantations, this species has been facing pressure from the construction of a hydropower project that are being built in their remaining habitat.
Scientists, over the course of 3000 hours have never observed the Tapanuli orangutan placing their feet on the ground, most likely because of fear developed of their ‘natural-threat’, another critically endangered species – Sumatran tiger. The threats of it natural predators along with unnatural factors like hunting, conflict with humans, the illegal wildlife trade, rampant habitat destruction for small-scale agriculture, mining and a proposed hydroelectric dam, the Batang Toru hydropower project, in the area with the highest density of orangutans have eclipsed the population, forcing it to fall drastically. Conservationists predict an 83% decline in three generations (75 years) if the necessary conservation measures and practices are not implemented.
In addition to that, orangutans are extremely slow breeders. Females have their first offspring at around 15 years of age, giving birth to one or two individuals every eight to nine years. All the threats combined, orangutans will disappear, taking forests along with them.
The one who creates the problem has the responsibility to provide the solution. Our actions have brought many species to the brink of extinction, Orangutan being one of them.
However, the change starts with us and by acknowledging that we bring ourselves one step closer to make the world a better place for us and them
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