Orangutans face extinction within decades due to deforestation for palm oil and pulp. They are among the most intelligent non-human animals on Earth.
Orangutan suffering from deforestation is profound. Adults are often killed during forest clearing when they are seen as pests. Mothers are killed for the pet trade, leaving infants that face death without rescue. Rehabilitation of orphaned orangutans takes up to a decade given their slow development. Survivors in fragmented forest face resource depletion, inbreeding in isolated populations, and contact with human diseases. Their long lives and complex cognition mean individual orangutans can experience decades of welfare impact from deforestation.