A crisis exists for orangutans.
While exact orangutan population counts are always a challenge – various estimates put current counts at between 50,000-100,000 orangutans left in the wild – we do know with certainty that 2,000 to 3,000 orangutans are killed every year.
At this rate of loss, many experts believe orangutans could be extinct in the wild in less than 50 years.
Never before has their very existence been threatened so severely. Economic crisis combined with natural disasters and human abuse of the forest are pushing one of humankind’s closest cousins to extinction.
The main threats today to the survival of orangutans:
- Loss of habitat through deforestation
- Palm oil plantations
- Illegal hunting
- Illegal pet trade
Learn more about the threats to orangutans here.
Would you like to help the Orangutan Conservancy to protect orangutans both in the wild and in rescue and rehabilitation centers across Indonesia?
Please make your donation to OC now and become a champion for orangutans!
