Four orangutans have moved into their unique new forest home in North Sumatra: the Orangutan Haven. It’s a landmark moment for the veterinarians and others working in animal welfare who have been […]
World’s rarest great ape species ‘in more trouble than previously thought’
The world’s rarest and most threatened great ape species, the Tapanuli orangutan, is in greater danger of becoming extinct than conservationists feared, a group of researchers warn in a new report. The […]
Conservationists organise online hangouts to mark International Orangutan Day
Conservationists around the world are today (Wednesday) joining forces to mark International Orangutan Day and raise awareness about the critically endangered primate whose DNA is 97 percent the same as humans. The […]
Hydropower project ‘imperils world’s rarest great ape species’
This article has been updated. There are reports that there will be a long-term delay in construction of the Batang Toru power plant. Conservationists say a 510-megawatt hydropower plant that is being […]
1.6 million hectares of land burned in fires in Indonesia this year, new analysis reveals
A new analysis of satellite data by the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) indicates that 1.64 million hectares burned in fires that blazed this year across seven Indonesian provinces. A total […]
Protesters gather for an international day of action to save the Tapanuli orangutan
The Ape Alliance has designated today (Thursday) as an international day of action to save the Tapanuli orangutan. Protests are taking place around the world against plans for a hydroelectric dam that […]
Orangutan undergoes surgery after being shot more than 70 times with an air rifle
An orangutan who was rescued from an oil palm plantation in Indonesia, and was found with 74 air rifle wounds, blinded eyes, and fractured bones, underwent surgery yesterday (Sunday) to repair her […]
UNESCO committee keeps Sumatran rainforest on List of World Heritage In Danger
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee¹ has again voted to keep the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra (TRHS) in Indonesia on the List of World Heritage In Danger. At its 42nd session, taking place […]
Palm oil company owes millions in fines for burning peat forest, but court blocks verdict
An Indonesian palm oil company that was fined the equivalent of 30 million US$ for illegally burning a vast area of peat swamp forest in Aceh has been granted “legal protection” by […]
Habitat loss and hunting have eliminated more than 100,000 Bornean orangutans, report states
The number of orangutans on the Southeast Asian island of Borneo plummeted between 1999 and 2015, according to a new report. The population decreased by more than 140,000 over the period, scientists […]
New TRAFFIC report says there is an ‘industrial-scale’ trade in pangolins in Indonesia
A new report by the monitoring network TRAFFIC documents the “industrial-scale” trade in pangolins in Indonesia and states that up to 10,000 of the trafficked animals are being seized by the Indonesian […]
New orangutan species identified in Indonesia
Scientists have identified a new species of orangutan in Indonesia, but there are so few individuals in the population that the newly named Tapanuli orangutan is already being described as one of […]
Borneo foundation to create a forest island for albino orangutan
The Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF) is appealing for funds to create a forest island for an albino orangutan rescued in April. The primate, who has been named Alba, is believed to […]
Wildlife poacher arrested in Sumatra ‘was set to sell tiger carcass’
This article has been updated with details of conviction and sentencing. A wildlife poacher who was in possession of a tiger carcass has been arrested in North Sumatra in Indonesia. An anti-trafficking […]
World Orangutan Day: conservationists call for an end to habitat destruction
It’s International Orangutan Day today (Saturday) and events have been organised around the world to raise awareness about the plight of the now critically endangered primate, whose DNA is 97 percent the […]
Six orangutans rescued from plantations in Sumatra
Over the past week, a team from the Orangutan Information Centre (OIC) in Sumatra has rescued six orangutans from oil palm and rubber plantations. The first of the rescues was on July […]
Sumatran rainforest remains on List of World Heritage In Danger
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has voted unanimously to keep the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra (TRHS) on the List of World Heritage In Danger. At its 41st session, taking place this week […]
Two Sumatran elephants found dead – one on oil palm plantation and one on farmland
On two consecutive days this week, two Sumatran elephants were found dead – one on an oil palm plantation in North Sumatra and one on farmland in the Gayo Lues Regency in Aceh. The […]
NGOs urge UNESCO to intervene to save rainforest heritage site
A consortium of NGOs is calling on UNESCO to intervene urgently to protect the rainforest World Heritage Site in northern Sumatra in Indonesia. The Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra (TRHS) site has […]
Environmentalists sound alarm over proposed rezoning of Leuser wildlife corridor
Environmental groups in Indonesia have called on the country’s forestry and environment ministry to reject plans to construct a geothermal plant in one of the world’s most precious areas of rainforest. A […]