Sumatran Orangutan (Pongo abelii)

The Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii), found exclusively on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, is critically endangered with fewer than 14,000 individuals remaining. This highly intelligent great ape faces extreme pressure from rapid deforestation and poaching, as its rainforest habitat is converted to palm oil plantations. Unlike their Bornean cousins, Sumatran orangutans have narrower faces and longer hair. Their slow reproductive rate—giving birth only once every 6-8 years—makes population recovery exceptionally difficult, highlighting the urgent need for sustained forest protection and anti-poaching efforts.