Orangutan
Orangutan trekking is something that many people might be interested in, but takes far more effort than chimpanzee or gorilla trekking. This is because Orangutangs cover so much ground. As a result, many Orangutan treks go on for multiple days.
There are 3 species of Orangutan, while 2 have been known about for a long time, the third is both incredibly endangered and only recently discovered. There is a planned dam in their habitat, which if built would likely lead to the extinction of the Tapanuli Orangutan in relatively fast order. Perhaps of particular interest, while the Tapanuli Orangutan lives in northern Sumatra, it is more closely related to the Borneo Orangutan.
Below is a picture of each of the 3 Orangutan species, click on each one to look at the specific species.
Dublin zoo has to get breastfeeding women to educate an orangutan
- Tim
- December 1, 2024
A female orangutan, who had failed to bond with either of her first two offspring (and as a result had both died), found 30 volunteer human mothers, to come in to breastfeed their babies in front of the orangutan. The exhibit was shut, so that the mothers could breastfeed topless – allowing Mujur the 19 …...
Orangutans climb incredibly high – no space for acrophobia
- Tim
- November 21, 2024
Life is hard in the Indonesian rainforest – compared to Africa and South America, there is very little to be found to eat (except in specific areas. As a result, orangutans become solitary, with the only time they are seen together is a mother with young, or a courting couple. Another problem, is demonstrated here …...
Video on the Tapanuli Orangutan
- Tim
- September 28, 2024
The Tapanuli Orangutan, was only described in 2017 and makes the eighth species of great ape. Unfortunately, it only numbers 800 in the wild, and a dam threatens its future survival. Click on its underlined name to visit its page. Do get in touch, if you work in conservation of this species, or tourism around …...
Norway pension fund has disinvested from a British firm Jardines of destructive plans for the Tapanuli orangutan habitat
- Tim
- June 11, 2024
With an estimated historical habitat of this species 95% destroyed already, only leaving a small patch of rainforest with an estimated 800 Tapanuli orangutan, it would seem obvious that this small patch of rainforest should be protected, no matter what. however this opinion is not shared by everyone. Having said this, thankfully, it is shared …...
Orangutan killings in Borneo still likely common
- Tim
- April 3, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxsPhx4D0T8 There is a serious problem in Borneo, that appears to be largely flying under the radar. A survey of villages found that 30% of villages had evidence of orangutan killiing in the last 5-10 years. This is despite a taboo on killing the species. The number of Borneo Orangutans is falling, and it is …...
Scientists think they know what wiped out the largest ever ape (a huge species of Orangutan)
- Tim
- March 26, 2024
Thought to have gone extinct 295,000 and 215,000 years ago, having first appeared around 2 million years ago. Rather than being caused by our ancestors, it unfortunately became extinct as a result of the climate became more seasonal and the plant-eating primate struggled to adapt to changing vegetation. Might this be a for-shadow for the …...
The worlds top sovereign fund is cutting ties with a dam which will likely lead to the extinction of the Tapanuli Orangutan
- Tim
- September 9, 2023
In most countries, if a dam was to cause so much destruction to the last habitat of a species, the dam would likely not get permission to be built. It is true that the dam will only take about 20% of the land in question, directly. It will also split the population in half. Given …...
Solitary male Orangutans peek on locals
- Tim
- July 19, 2023
Generally great apes are animals that live in community. Indeed, one of the reasons that great apes developed such large brains is as a result of their need in social situations. Great apes (along with lesser monkeys, dolphins, bears and wolves, with a few more) require a large brain to remember things about the many …...
Will the 8th great ape- the Tapanuli orangutan – survive the first 2 decades after being described?
- Tim
- May 2, 2023
It is just 5 years since the Tapanuli orangutan was described. Despite this Orangutan being restricted to an area of Northern Sumatra, it is more closely related to the Bornean Orangutan than the Sumatran one. This might be the clearest indication of how long this species has been separate from its cousins. The Tapanuli Orangutan …...
Orangutans are roaming into villages in Sumatra – bad news
- Tim
- April 6, 2023
At first glance, you could look at this headline as good news – in most instances, wild animals do not start looking outside their habitat for places to live, unless there are too many and they are being forced out. However, they also start looking elsewhere when they struggle to find food where they are, …...
Zoo keeper forced to save a drowning Orangutan, and then give it CPR
- Tim
- August 8, 2022
Orangutans have been seen swimming on many occasions in the wild. Bizarrely, though, it seems to be a shared trait of all captive Orangutans to be terrified of water, and incapable of swimming even short distances. This does help zoos, as it makes easy barriers to put up, without impeding the views that the visitors …...
An arrested Sumatran politician – arrested for bribery, was found to have a pet Orangutan among a group of other exotic pets
- Tim
- March 4, 2022
There is a great deal of corruption in many parts of the world. In many places politicians are almost expected to give themselves extra benefits – indeed those who do not, are often quite notable for standing out. In this case, after arresting the politician his house was raided, when the animals were found.
The Tapanuli Orangutan is still threatened with extinction, despite only recently being discovered
- Tim
- November 6, 2021
The Tapanuli Orangutan lives on Sumatra but are thought to be more closely related to Bornean Orangutans. Numbering around 800 members, they had a far wider ranging habitat until recently. They are now restricted to about 1000 square km – about 2.5% of their former range. What is harder, is that these Orangutans are not …...
It would appear the 8th great ape the Tapanuli Orangutan is closer to extinction than we thought
- Tim
- March 24, 2021
A study has been examining the range of the Tapanuli orangutan and has concluded that they are currently found in only 2.5% of their historic range, having lost the rest of their range to hunting and habitat loss.
The builders of the dam that will eradicate 80 to 90% of the range of the tapunali orangutan are refusing to do an assessment on the damage to this species – a new update, things keep changing, check back for mroe
- Tim
- August 29, 2020
Only a few years after the Tapunali orangutan was recognised as the 8th great ape species, a dam was planned for the area which would functionally wipe out this great ape species.
I wrote a while ago about it a dam caused for the tapanuli orangutan, apparently it has been delayed by up to 3 years- lets make sure its delay is permanent
- Tim
- August 21, 2020
I personally couldn’t see how an environmental check could make it through if the building of the dam, would completely eradicate one of the eight great apes on earth. However between the environmental challenges, the current ongoing pandemic and problems financing the project with many of the large world banks not keen to be associated …...
New species of Orangutan
- Tim
- February 27, 2018
The Tapamuli Orangutan has recently been discovered. There are only thought to be 800 of these animals left and they are only found within the Batang Toru Forest of North Sumatra. It is thought that they have been a separate from the Borneon Orangutan for 674,000 years (despite living on Sumatra they appear to be …...
Sumatra is finding that building bridges over roads is much cheaper than elsewhere
- Tim
- March 2, 2025
This seems a very cheap and simple solution to roads, at least for primates. A standard motorway bridge in the UK can cost well over $1million (estimates suggest at least £890,000). This compares to a canopy bridge costing $5000 if even that much. Each male Sumatran Orangutan needs 15 square miles, while females need at …...
Deforestation and palm oil stories: Deforestation is not a desire, there is demand for what is done with the land
- Tim
- January 21, 2025
The problem with stopping deforestation, is that for the majority of the world we are far removed from rainforests (from where I sit in the UK, I would have to travel 3250km (over 2000 miles) to the nearest rainforest, which is an area on mainland India). Indeed, rainforest is generally something that only survives in …...
