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 ...
Tapanuli Orangutan

Orangutans are often animals high on the list that people wish to see one day. Orangutans are the only great ape that lives outside Africa. While fossils show that at one time, it was found on the mainland of Asia, the Orangutan is now restricted to the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. There are 3 species of Orangutan and their conservation status varies dramatically. The Orangutan was first scientifically described in 1779 by Dutch anatomist Petrus Camper.
The Tapanuli orangutan, was discovered in 2017, It lives in the Tapanuli forest in Sumatra, but is thought to be more closely related to the Borneo Orangutan. It is thought that just 800 remain, in an area covering around 1000 square miles. This is around 9.75% less than the area they would have historically roamed. It is scary when we are only discovering species of this importance when they are this close to extinction. One would think that they Indonesian government would be working as hard as possible to save what habitat remains, but there is a dam being built, which will split this population into 3, and it is quite plausible that they will not survive.
You will find all the articles we have written on the Tapanuli Orangutans below (there will be a video between)
As always, we hope to add many destinations for Orangutans in the near future, do get in touch if you wish to list somewhere in their range. These links will be added below the news sections as we make links.
Dam that threatens the survival all of the rarest great ape is in the wrong place will make more carbon dioxide emissions during building and reduce emissions less than claimed
- Tim
- March 4, 2020
A recent analysis has shown that the the Dam that would cover 90% of the Tapanuli orangutan population has had the prospects of positive outcomes hugely hyped by it’s backers, ...
News in brief – articles from last few weeks
- Tim
- January 24, 2020
Owl in Christmas tree A Georgia family cut down a tree and took it home, decorated it and left it in their house. Only a week after they had bought ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 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 ...
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 ...
Dam that threatens the survival all of the rarest great ape is in the wrong place will make more carbon dioxide emissions during building and reduce emissions less than claimed
- Tim
- March 4, 2020
A recent analysis has shown that the the Dam that would cover 90% of the Tapanuli orangutan population has had the prospects of positive outcomes hugely hyped by it’s backers, ...
News in brief – articles from last few weeks
- Tim
- January 24, 2020
Owl in Christmas tree A Georgia family cut down a tree and took it home, decorated it and left it in their house. Only a week after they had bought ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...