One of the 3 orangutans on WAnimals
Mammals · Primates · Hominidae
Tapanuli Orangutan
Pongo tapanuliensis
It faces an extremely high risk of imminent extinction in the wild. See full glossary
The Tapanuli orangutan was described as a species in its own right in 2017, becoming the seventh known great ape and, immediately, the most threatened on the planet. The entire population, of fewer than 800 animals, survives in some 1,100 square kilometres of forest in the Batang Toru ecosystem, in northern Sumatra. It is told apart from the Sumatran orangutan by a smaller skull, curlier, cinnamon-coloured hair, and a long call of higher pitch and longer duration. Adult males develop large flat cheek pads.
Weight
35 kg – 90 kg
Size
1.2 m – 1.5 m
Lifespan
45 years
Diet
Omnivore
Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Very hard
Estimated population
Fewer than 800 individuals
Fun facts
- taxonomíaFormally described in 2017, it is the most recently identified great ape and one of the most threatened on the planet.
- It is the most threatened great ape in the world: its entire population would fit into a small village.
- Genetic analyses indicate that its lineage separated from that of the Bornean and Sumatran orangutans more than three million years ago, although it was not recognised as a species until 2017.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
- Habitat & environment
- Montane tropical forest of the Batang Toru ecosystem, in Sumatra, between 300 and 1,300 m
- Sexual maturity
- 15 years
- Gestation / incubation
- 8.5 months
- Litter / clutch size
- 1
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pongo_tapanuliensis
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Tapanuli Orangutan — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Sumatran Orangutan
Pongo abelii
Critically EndangeredBornean Orangutan
Pongo pygmaeus
Critically EndangeredWestern Gorilla
Gorilla gorilla
Critically EndangeredEastern Gorilla
Gorilla beringei
Bonobo
Pan paniscus
Human
Homo sapiens
How to help
The tapanuli orangutan is classified as critically endangered. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
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