Orangutans are the only great apes in Asia. Their closest relatives—chimpanzees, gorillas, and bonobos—are found in Africa. In Indonesia, orangutans are protected under Law No. 32 of 2024 and Regulation P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018 on Protected Plant and Animal Species. Globally, they are listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN due to threats like poaching, illegal trade, habitat loss, and human-wildlife conflict. CITES also lists them in Appendix I, prohibiting any form of trade.
Indonesia is home to three species:
• Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii)
• Tapanuli orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis)
• Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus)
According to the 2016 PHVA analysis, only around 71,820 orangutans remain in the wild across Sumatra and Borneo, spread over 51 metapopulations within 17.5 million hectares.
• About 57,350 Bornean orangutans live in 16 million hectares, mostly P. p. wurmbii (38,200 individuals)
• Around 14,470 orangutans are found in Sumatra
Orangutans are crucial to the health of tropical forests. As large fruit eaters, they help regenerate forests by dispersing seeds through their droppings. This makes them an umbrella species — protecting orangutans also safeguards countless other species and the ecosystems they live in.
Protecting orangutans means preserving biodiversity and the delicate balance of tropical forests — for wildlife, for nature, and for future generations.
Sumatran Orangutan (Pongo Abelii)
The Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) is known for its smaller build and brighter, orange-brown hair compared to its Bornean relative. Locally called mawas or maweh, this species can weigh up to 90 kilograms and is found from northern Sumatra to the western area of Lake Toba, including reintroduced populations in the Bukit Tigapuluh landscape.
Primarily frugivorous, the Sumatran orangutan benefits from Sumatra’s longer fruiting seasons, which provide abundant food year-round. As a highly arboreal species, it spends most of its life in the treetops—feeding, nesting, and sleeping in the forest canopy.
Tapanuli Orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis)
The Tapanuli orangutan was once thought to be a population of Sumatran orangutans, until genetic studies revealed a surprising connection: the females in Batang Toru are more closely related to Bornean orangutans. This discovery led to the formal recognition of the Tapanuli orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis) as a distinct species in 2017.
Found only in the Batang Toru Ecosystem of North Sumatra, this critically endangered species inhabits a limited and fragmented area of around 132,000 hectares. Habitat loss and fragmentation—driven by both natural and human factors—pose serious threats to its survival.
With fewer than 800 individuals remaining in the wild, the Tapanuli orangutan is one of the rarest and most threatened great apes on Earth.
Bornean Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus)
Genetic studies have identified three distinct subspecies of Bornean orangutans:
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Pongo pygmaeus pygmaeus lives north of the Kapuas River in West Kalimantan and into northeastern Sarawak (Malaysia).
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Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii ranges from south of the Kapuas River (West Kalimantan) to the eastern side of the Barito River (Central Kalimantan).
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Pongo pygmaeus morio is found from Sabah (Malaysia) down to the Mahakam River in East Kalimantan.
Among them, P. p. wurmbii is the largest in size, while P. p. morio is the smallest.
Across Borneo, orangutans are known by many local names—such as hirang, kuyang, maias, kahiyu, kisau, and ulang—reflecting the cultural connection between communities and this iconic species.