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How has habitat loss affected Bornean orangutan populations?

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An illustration of a female Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) with long reddish-brown fur, hanging from tree branches with one arm extended upward and one leg hooked over a branch. A scale bar at the bottom shows lengths of 30 centimeters and 12 inches for size reference. — orangutan Female orangutans (*Pongo*) have the longest breeding interval of any mammal, giving birth on average once every eight years.

Habitat loss has been a primary driver in the decline of the Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus), a species currently classified as critically endangered. Since the early 1970s, the population has decreased by more than 50 percent, largely due to the destruction of rainforests in Borneo.12

The conversion of forests into oil palm plantations is a key factor in this habitat loss, as palm oil production in Indonesia and Malaysia increased by 900 percent between 1980 and 2010. Additionally, forests have been cleared for human settlements, timber estates, and road construction. This widespread deforestation fragments the habitat, depriving orangutans of essential food resources and living space.13

These environmental pressures, often compounded by hunting and the illegal animal trade, have placed the species at risk of extinction. Conservationists emphasize that protecting these natural areas is an ethical imperative to prevent the loss of this unique primate species.134