Sumatran and Tapanuli Orangutan Populations Revealed in Latest Survey

The Ministry of Forestry has announced that the latest population survey estimates the Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) population at 11,694 individuals and the Tapanuli orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis) at 716 individuals. “Orangutan conservation is a shared responsibility. Its success can only be achieved through strong collaboration between the government, academics, conservation partners, the business world, and the community. The scientific data produced through this survey serves as an important foundation for formulating targeted conservation policies,” said Deputy Minister of Forestry Rohmat Marzuki in a statement confirmed from Jakarta on Monday. Speaking after the National Seminar on a Decade of Collaborative Sumatran and Tapanuli Orangutan Conservation in Medan, North Sumatra, on Saturday, Deputy Minister Rohmat emphasised that the 2021–2023 survey results provide a scientific basis for developing more effective policies and conservation measures to protect these critically endangered animals. The survey results also indicate serious challenges to the preservation efforts for both protected species. The decline in the Sumatran orangutan population compared to 2011 figures, along with the high vulnerability of the Tapanuli orangutan in the Batang Toru landscape, serves as a reminder that conservation efforts must be continuously strengthened through science-based approaches, habitat protection, law enforcement, and cross-sector collaboration. In line with the Ministry of Forestry’s Strategic Plan, the Directorate General of Natural Resources and Ecosystem Conservation is therefore intensifying efforts to maintain the ecological functions of biodiversity, improve the effectiveness of conservation area management, and strengthen biodiversity protection governance both inside and outside forest areas through the development of preservation zones. Deputy Minister Rohmat noted that in addition to conducting population surveys, a Population and Habitat Viability Assessment will also be prepared. This step is an important part of supporting the implementation of the Indonesian Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2025-2045, which places the protection of species and biodiversity as a national priority. “The implementation of the population survey and the preparation of the PHVA are important parts of supporting the implementation of IBSAP 2025–2045, which places the protection of species and biodiversity as a national priority. Therefore, the synergy of all stakeholders must continue to be strengthened so that the conservation of Sumatran and Tapanuli orangutans can proceed systematically, adaptively, and sustainably,” Rohmat Marzuki concluded.