Mammals
Tapanuli Orangutan
Pongo tapanuliensis
In the mountain forests of North Sumatra, a Tapanuli orangutan with frizzy cinnamon hair reaches for a fruit, one of fewer than a thousand of the rarest great apes on Earth.
Overview
The Tapanuli orangutan, Pongo tapanuliensis, is a Critically Endangered ape found only in the Batang Toru forests of North Sumatra. Described as a new species in 2017, it is now the rarest of the great apes, with fewer than a thousand animals remaining.
The newest great ape
That a new great ape species could be recognised so recently shows how much remains to be learned about the world’s forests, and how quickly such species can be lost.
Status
Critically Endangered, with a decreasing population.
Tapanuli Orangutan: common questions
When was the Tapanuli orangutan discovered?
It was described as a new species in 2017, the first new great ape species to be recognised in nearly a century.
How many Tapanuli orangutans are left?
Fewer than a thousand animals remain, making it the rarest of the great apes.
Where does the Tapanuli orangutan live?
It lives only in the Batang Toru forests of North Sumatra, Indonesia.
Why is the Tapanuli orangutan critically endangered?
It is threatened by clearing of forest, hunting, and proposed development in its small range.