Why in news?
Recent floods in Sumatra have severely impacted the critically endangered Tapanuli orangutan, the world's rarest great ape, with scientists fearing significant population losses.
About Tapanuli orangutan
- The Tapanuli orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis) is one of the three living orangutan species, discovered and classified as distinct in 2017.
- It inhabits a small, fragmented area in the Batang Toru ecosystem south of Lake Toba on Sumatra, Indonesia, making it the rarest great ape with fewer than 800 individuals remaining.​
Physical Traits
- Males reach about 137 cm in height and 70-90 kg, while females are smaller at 110 cm and 40-50 kg.
- Distinct features include a deeper suborbital fossa and more angled facial profile compared to the Sumatran orangutan.
- They remain exclusively arboreal, avoiding the ground due to predators like Sumatran tigers and clouded leopards.​
Habitat and Diet
- These orangutans live in tropical moist broadleaf forests at 300-1,300 m elevation across roughly 1,000 km².
- Their diet is mainly fruit-based, supplemented by insects and small reptiles. Slow reproduction hinders population recovery.​
Conservation Status
Classified as critically endangered by the IUCN, threats include habitat loss from agriculture, mining, hunting, and the Batang Toru hydropower project.
Download Pdf
