Photo Courtesy of Perry van Duijnhoven

Listed as “critically endangered,” it is estimated that only 7.300 wild orangutans live in Sumatra.  In addition to large-scale habitat conversion and hunting for the pet trade, the large body size of orangutans and long birth intervals make them extremely vulnerable to extinction.

Photo Courtesy of Perry van Duijnhoven

The study of orangutans at the Ketambe research site in Sumatra allows scientists to determine the effect that illegal selective logging in the region has on the forest’s inhabitants, and whether or not the logging ultimately threatens the long-term survivability of orangutans.  The unique value of the Ketambe study is that it occurs in an area where scientific data have been collected over the past 35 years. This important database has been entrusted to Great Ape Trust for management and scientific research. It is believed the work will not only help better understand and secure the Ketambe orangutan population, but may well lead to a new general strategy to save orangutans and other great apes.  Principal investigator in the study is Dr. Serge Wich, a visiting scientist at Great Ape Trust from Utrecht University in the Netherlands.   Our organizational partner is the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme.

Great Ape Trust provided funds to support the salaries and field expenses of the Indonesian field assistants and students who conduct observations at Ketambe.  These students gain valuable first-hand experience that complements their university studies and builds a foundation for the next generation of Indonesian primatologists.