Orangutans
1950s - 2022 CE
Their name means “people of the forest.” They can live for more than 50 years and are the slowest–reproducing mammals in the world. Orangutans live only on Borneo and Sumatra. Tree–dwelling creatures they rely on the forest for their survival on two of the world's most heavily logged islands where the demand for lumber products and the cultivation of palm oil plantations are rapidly destroying the orangutan's home. On Sumatra, 80% have been lost in the last 60 years. Sumatran orangutans may become the first great ape to go extinct.
- IUCN & World Wildlife Fund
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Never buy products containing unsustainably sourced palm oil — choose RSPO-certified or palm-oil-free items to limit deforestation.
Choose FSC-certified wood, paper and furniture to reduce logging pressure in orangutan habitat.
Support rainforest protection and reforestation efforts that restore and safeguard the forests orangutans depend on.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
film: National Geographic
sound: Stuart Reading: Research Librarian/Media Manager, I&A BBC Future Media & Technology Research Centre
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