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Where do Bornean orangutans live?

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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.

Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) inhabit large portions of the island of Borneo. They are arboreal animals that spend more than 90 percent of their time in the rainforest canopy.1

Unfortunately, these primates are currently classified as critically endangered due to significant habitat loss and hunting. The destruction of their forest homes—often to make way for oil palm plantations, timber estates, and human infrastructure—poses a severe threat to their survival. Protecting these ecosystems is a vital ethical imperative to prevent the extinction of this species.12