Archive · 13 Dec 2025
Indonesia Floods Threaten Rare Orangutans
Indonesia recently had very bad floods and landslides.
These floods hurt the homes of a very rare kind of orangutan called the tapanuli orangutan.
Scientists think that between 6% and 11% of these orangutans in one area might have been killed.
There are only about 800 of these orangutans left in the world, so losing even a few is a big problem.
The floods also destroyed a lot of their forest home.
Scientists are very worried and want people to stop building things that hurt the orangutans' home and to help protect and restore the forests.
Indonesia's recent floods and landslides caused catastrophic damage to the habitat of the tapanuli orangutan, the world's rarest great ape.
Scientists estimate that 6-11% of the tapanuli orangutan population in the West Block may have been killed.
Only about 800 tapanuli orangutans remain in the wild, making them extremely vulnerable to population loss.
Over 9% of the West Block habitat, the most densely populated area for tapanulis, may have been destroyed.
Scientists are urging immediate action to halt development, expand protected areas, and restore forests to protect the remaining orangutans.
- Who
- Tapanuli orangutans, scientists, conservationists
- What
- Flooding and landslides in Indonesia's Batang Toru region
- When
- Last month (December 2023)
- Where
- Batang Toru region, Sumatra, Indonesia
- Why
- Heavy rainfall and landslides caused catastrophic damage to the habitat of the world's rarest great ape
- Species
- Tapanuli orangutan
- Population
- Fewer than 800 in the wild
- Habitat
- Batang Toru region, Sumatra, Indonesia
- Estimated Loss
- 6-11% of orangutans in West Block
- Habitat Loss
- Over 9% of West Block habitat destroyed
- Proposed Actions
- Halt development, expand protected areas, restore forests