Orangutan Welfare and Palm Oil | Animal Welfare Hub

Bornean and Sumatran orangutans are critically endangered, with palm oil plantation expansion destroying their forest habitat and causing direct welfare harm through conflict killing.

Key Facts

Bornean orangutans declined 50% between 1999 and 2015 — around 100,000 remain
Sumatran orangutans number fewer than 14,000 — critically endangered
Palm oil is in around 50% of supermarket products including food, cosmetics and cleaning products
Orangutans displaced by plantation clearance are shot as pests, electrocuted on power lines or captured for the pet trade
RSPO certified sustainable palm oil reduces deforestation pressure but is imperfectly enforced

Welfare Considerations

Orangutans are killed, maimed and orphaned as their forest is converted to palm plantation. Conflict killings involve shooting, electrocution and beating. Captured infants are traumatised by the killing of their mothers and spend years in the pet trade before sanctuary rehabilitation. In rehabilitation programmes, traumatised individuals require years of intensive care before re-release. Each orangutan is a highly intelligent individual with distinct personality — their deaths and suffering represent profound individual losses.

What You Can Do

Choose products with RSPO certified sustainable palm oil over uncertified alternatives
Avoid cosmetics and food brands with non-transparent palm oil sourcing
Donate to Orangutan Foundation International or BOS Foundation for rehabilitation and habitat work
Advocate for forest protection legislation and enforcement in Indonesia and Malaysia