Wild Animals

Wild Orang-utan Palm Oil and Habitat

Orang-utans face existential threat from palm oil plantation expansion, with individual welfare impacts from habitat destruction, rescue, and rehabilitation.

Key Facts

Orang-utans are the only great apes found outside Africa, living in Borneo and Sumatra
Borneo orang-utan populations declined by over 50% between 1999 and 2015
Palm oil plantations replace primary forest orang-utan habitat across both islands
An estimated 2,000 orang-utans are killed per year in human-wildlife conflict and poaching
The International Palm Oil Standards Council certifies sustainable palm oil but implementation is debated

Welfare Considerations

Orang-utans encountered by plantation workers are sometimes killed or captured. Orphaned infants found near dead mothers experience profound psychological trauma. Rehabilitation of rescued orang-utans requires years of intensive care before return to forest. Habitat destruction forces orang-utans into human-inhabited areas where they face lethal conflict. The welfare of individual orang-utans is inseparable from the conservation of their forest habitat.

What You Can Do

Check personal care and food products for certified sustainable palm oil
Support orang-utan rescue and rehabilitation centres including BOS Foundation
Advocate for corporate commitments to deforestation-free supply chains
Donate to organisations protecting primary forest habitat in Borneo and Sumatra
Raise awareness about palm oil and orang-utan welfare in consumer communities