Orangutan di Indonesia

Orangutan adalah satu-satunya kera besar yang hidup di daratan Asia. Kerabat terdekat lainnya berasal dari Afrika, yaitu: simpanse, gorilla, dan bonobo. Di Indonesia, orangutan dilindungi oleh Undang-Undang No 5 Tahun 1990. Di dunia internasional, orangutan telah masuk dalam kategori Kritis (Critically Endangered) oleh IUCN karena populasinya di alam semakin berkurang, sebagai akibat dari perburuan, perdagangan, deforestasi dan konflik dengan manusia. Selain itu CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) memasukkan orangutan dalam Appendix I, yaitu dilarang untuk diperjualbelikan dalam bentuk apapun.

Ada tiga jenis orangutan di Indonesia, yaitu orangutan sumatera (Pongo abelii), orangutan tapanuli (Pongo tapanuliensis), dan orangutan kalimantan (Pongo pygmaeus)

Populasi orangutan menurun drastis dalam kurun waktu 20 tahun terakhir. Berdasarkan analisis PHVA (Population Habitat Viability Analysis) tahun 2016, diperkirakan terdapat 71.820 individu orangutan di Pulau Sumatera dan Kalimantan, yang tersebar pada 51 metapopulasi di kawasan seluas 17.460.000 hektar.

Sekitar 57.350 orangutan kalimantan menghuni kawasan seluas 16.013.600 hektar, dengan sub-spesies terbanyak yaitu Pongo pygmeaus wurmbii (38.200 individu). Di Sumatera, sekitar 14.470 individu.

Orangutan hidup di hutan tropis dan saat ini terancam punah. Sebagai spesies umbrella, orangutan membantu melindungi ekosistem hutan tropis di mana mereka tinggal dan juga spesies lain yang hidup di dalamnya. Dalam hal ini, orangutan menjadi "payung" atau "pelindung" bagi spesies lain dan lingkungan di sekitarnya

Kehadiran orangutan di hutan tropis memainkan peran penting dalam menjaga keseimbangan ekosistem, karena mereka merupakan herbivora utama yang menyebarkan biji-bijian melalui feses mereka, yang pada gilirannya membantu memperbarui tumbuhan di hutan tropis. Selain itu, orangutan juga berperan sebagai pemangsa dan mangsa dalam rantai makanan hutan tropis, sehingga keberadaan mereka membantu menjaga keseimbangan ekosistem yang kompleks.

Dengan demikian, melindungi habitat orangutan dan memastikan keberlangsungan hidup mereka tidak hanya membantu menjaga populasi orangutan tetap lestari, tetapi juga mempertahankan keanekaragaman hayati dan keseimbangan ekosistem di hutan tropis. Oleh karena itu, orangutan merupakan salah satu spesies umbrella yang sangat penting untuk dijaga keberadaannya.

Sumateran Orangutan (Pongo Abelii)

The species known scientifically as Pongo abelii is characterized by a smaller body size and brighter orange hair compared to its Bornean counterpart. Locally referred to as mawas or maweh, this orangutan can weigh up to 90 kilograms. The Sumatran orangutan is distributed from the northern part of Sumatra to the western area of Lake Toba. Additionally, this species can also be found in the Bukit Tiga Puluh landscape, which hosts a population resulting from reintroduction efforts.

The hair of the Sumatran orangutan is a brownish-orange hue, appearing brighter compared to its Bornean relatives. Research shows that the primary diet of Sumatran orangutans consists of fruits. The fruiting season in Sumatra is indeed longer than in Borneo, resulting in an abundance of fruit throughout the year.

The Sumatran orangutan is an arboreal species that spends most of its time in the trees, engaging in activities such as foraging for food, building nests, and sleeping in the tree canopy.

Tapanuli Orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis)

The Tapanuli orangutan was long recognized by local communities and researchers as a Sumatran orangutan before it was identified as a distinct species. No one initially suspected that this orangutan was different from its Sumatran counterpart. However, genetic research later revealed that female orangutans in Batang Toru share a closer genetic relationship with Bornean orangutans than with Sumatran orangutans.

Tapanuli orangutans are found only in the Batang Toru Ecosystem in North Sumatra. They were officially recognized as a separate species in November 2017.

These orangutans inhabit a highly restricted area of approximately 132,000 hectares within the Batang Toru landscape, along with some other regions still under study. Their habitat is fragmented due to both natural factors and human development, making their conservation even more urgent.

Currently, the wild population of Tapanuli orangutans is estimated to be fewer than 800 individuals, making them one of the most endangered primate species in the world.

Bornean Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus)

Based on genetic studies, Bornean orangutans have been identified as having three distinct subspecies:

Pongo pygmaeus pygmaeus is found in the northern region of the Kapuas River (West Kalimantan) extending to northeastern Sarawak (Malaysia).
Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii is found from the southern region of the Kapuas River (West Kalimantan) to the eastern part of the Barito River (Central Kalimantan)
Pongo pygmaeus morio is distributed from Sabah (Malaysia) down to the south, reaching the Mahakam River in East Kalimantan.

Physically, Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii is the largest subspecies of orangutan, while Pongo pygmaeus morio is the smallest among its relatives in Borneo.

In Borneo, orangutans have many local names. In different regions, they are referred to as hirang, helong lietiea, kahui, kisau, kogju, kuyang, kahiyu, oyang dok, ulang, uyang paya, and maias.