Why has palm oil production threatened Bornean orangutans?

Palm oil production has significantly threatened the Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) primarily through the large-scale clearing of tropical forests in Indonesia and Malaysia to make room for oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) cultivation.1

This conversion of natural habitat into agricultural land has created several critical pressures:

• Habitat Loss: The destruction of vast areas of forest deprives orangutans of their essential living space and food resources. As arboreal animals that spend over 90 percent of their time in trees, the loss of forest canopy directly undermines their survival.12
• Displacement and Conflict: As forests are cleared, orangutans are often displaced. This encroachment frequently leads to the killing of adult orangutans, which in turn leaves orphaned infants vulnerable to capture for the illegal pet trade.3
• Population Decline: The combination of habitat destruction and hunting has contributed to a population decline of more than 50 percent since the early 1970s, leading the International Union for Conservation of Nature to classify the species as critically endangered.12

Protecting these animals is a moral imperative, as their survival is directly threatened by human-driven habitat loss and industrial expansion.13