Will the COVID19 pandemic give conservationists a chance to save the world’s most endangered great ape, the Critically Endangered Tapanuli orangutan? The planned Batang Toru hydroelectric dam poses serious threats to the survival of the Critically Endangered Tapanuli orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis) – the world’s rarest great ape, with just over 700 individuals estimated to remain. The COVID-19...
If you’re in the UK, you probably watched the amazing second episode of Primates on Sunday 3rd May and saw Tapanuli orangutans on your TV screen (if you’re not in the UK, don’t worry – the series will be available in other countries later this year). Tapanuli orangutans were only announced as a distinct species in 2017, and with...
A new report by a leading international consultancy warns that the proposed Batang Toru hydroelectric project in South Tapanuli Regency, North Sumatra, is not only entirely unnecessary for meeting Indonesia or North Sumatra’s future energy needs, but is also a critical threat to the local ecosystem and the critically endangered Tapanuli orangutan. The report, entitled Analysis...
