Scientists have warned about the death of rare orangutans after floods in Indonesia

Scientists have said that the deadly floods in Indonesia have become an "extinction—level event" for the world's rarest great ape, the Tapanuli orangutan. According to them, the disaster caused catastrophic damage to the habitat and the prospects for the survival of the species. This was reported on December 12 by Science X magazine.

Tapanuli orangutans were officially recognized as a separate species only in 2017. They are considered incredibly rare great apes, of which there are fewer than 800 individuals in the wild. It is specified that they live in a small area in Indonesian Sumatra.

According to the publication, conservationists have already found one dead orangutan, presumably belonging to the Tapanuliaceae family. According to Panut Hadisiswoyo, founder and chairman of the Orangutan Information Center in Indonesia, the loss of even one individual is a devastating blow to the survival of the species.

The analysis of satellite images, combined with awareness of the habitat of this species of primate, suggested that the recent flooding could have caused damage, among other things. The researchers drew attention to the Western Block, where 581 Tapanuli orangutans lived before the disaster. The images show crevices in the mountain landscape, some of which extend for more than 1 km and are about 100 m wide.

"We believe that six to eleven percent of the orangutans probably died there. Any mortality rate among adults exceeding one percent leads the species to extinction, no matter how large the population is at the initial stage," said longtime primate advocate Eric Mayard.

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It is claimed that after the destruction, the remaining Tapanuli orangutans will become even more vulnerable, as food sources and shelters have been washed away by water. According to the research group, about 9% of the block's territory could have been destroyed. According to their article, flooding is a "disturbance threatening the extinction of a species."

Environmentalists have long opposed industrial activities in Batang Toru, including the construction of a hydroelectric power plant and the development of a gold deposit. The high—altitude areas where Tapanuli orangutans live today are not their preferred environment - the animals have been displaced there by buildings in other places.

Earlier, the Indonesian authorities acknowledged that industrial plantations, hydropower and gold mining had "significantly increased pressure on the environment," and announced the suspension of permits for all projects in the region until the completion of the audit. The government and environmentalists also said that deforestation had exacerbated the flooding.

Orangutan experts are calling for an immediate halt to any development threatening the remaining forests, an urgent survey of the region, the expansion of protected areas and the restoration of lowland forests. Hadisisvoyo noted that after the landslides, the region was plunged into frightening silence.

"This fragile and sensitive habitat in the Western Bloc must be fully protected by stopping all development that damages the habitat," he concluded.

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On December 4, Science X reported on the possible death of African penguins from starvation. According to the publication, in the period from 2004 to 2011, a 95% decrease in population was recorded on the islands of Dassin and Robben. It was clarified that they could die during molting due to disappearing food resources.

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