I was recently in Sumatra to work with the Sumatran Orang-utan Society. Not only did I experience the wonderful work that they are doing to save this species, but I also had the privilege of spending time observing an Orang-utan and her one week old baby in the wild. Here's a photo of the newest member of the family.
(Photo: Orangutan in the wild with 1 week old baby, Paul Williams)
The Sumatran orangutan is endemic to the island of Sumatra, Indonesia where its population has decreased by 86% over the past 100 years. The most recent estimate (Wich et al, 2008) is that less than 6624 Sumatran orangutan still survive in the wild - this is decreasing every year. The loss of forest cover is the main cause of this decline. Between 1985 and 1997 61% of the forest in Sumatra was lost due to logging, infrastructure development, internal migration, and plantation development. The Sumatran orangutan is critically endangered and is listed as one of the twenty-five most endangered primates in the world (IUCN, 2006).
Find out more about what is being done to save this enchanting species visit the Sumatran Orang-utan Society
(Photo: Orangutan in the wild, Sumatra, Paul Williams)