What are the Enemies of Orangutans?

Humans

• Human expansion and pollution damaged many of the habitats in Borneo and Sumatra. Specifically, the timber industry within Sumatra and agriculture in Borneo chased orangutans into smaller regions of land and effectively reduced their numbers. Figures from the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources show the number of orangutans have decreased over 80 percent within a 75-year time table (1933 to 2008). Indonesia experienced rapid human population and industrial growth in the same time frame.

Failed Protection Laws

• International animal rights organizations have tried to protect the orangutan from human threats. However, orangutans end up becoming collateral damage in illegal human activities. For example, Sumatra bans or requires special permits to log within certain forests for environmental sustainability. However, due to political instability from the Aceh province of Sumatra and the economic devastation of the 2004 Tsunami, illegal logging was still commonly done in the region as of 2011. The destruction of the habitat leads to less shelter and food for the orangutan.

Poachers and Hunters

• Under international law, orangutans cannot be bought or sold, but many poachers still capture or kill orangutans as game or as animals to sell. For example, in 2004, 100 orangutans from Borneo were found in an underground animal trade market in Thailand. There are also small populations of Sumatran or Borneo natives who hunt and consume orangutans for food, but the IUCN does not state how prevalent this is in those regions.

Natural Disasters

• Sumatra and Borneo are in the cross hairs of many natural disasters. Fires from El Nino, for example, have led to rapid deforestation. The 2004 Tsunami that devastated so many human lives also took a toll on the animal population. No study was made to determine how many orangutans died in the actual tsunami. But the tsunami rebuilding efforts increased the demand for timber, and the orangutans lost even more of their habitat. Earthquakes are also common as Indonesia rests on the "Ring of Fire" within the Pacific Ocean. Lacking any appropriate shelter from deforestation may negatively harm the chances an orangutan has to find safety during a natural disaster.