The orangutan rarely leaves the trees, even making nests in the branches of the trees to sleep in at night or nap in during the day. ... Sumatran orangutans have longer facial hair. In 2014, we celebrated 10 years of lobbying with a great success: 90% of the Tapanuli-Orangutan’s habitat was declared as «protection forest». BACKGROUND Are orangutans endangered, how many are left in Borneo and Sumatra and what is being done to save the great apes? The latter is the one you can see at the Saint Louis Zoo. Helen Buckland, director of the Sumatran Orangutan Society (SOS), explains: “SOS’s strategy in saving Sumatran orangutans is to protect and restore their rainforest home. Ex-captive orangutans need to undergo extensive care and rehabilitation before they are ready for release. Every year one million hectares of rainforest fall victim to legal or illegal overexploitation. One of the key ways we do that is by reclaiming land that was once lush, biodiverse forest and returning it to wildlife.” Orangutans live in the lush rainforests on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. The Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme SOCP is fighting to prevent these great apes from dying out and to protect their habitat, the tropical rainforest. Orangutans spend their lives in the trees, even building a nest to sleep in each night, high in the forest canopy. Over 150 Sumatran orangutans have been released into the jungles of BTP to live wild and free as all orangutans should. While exact orangutan population counts are always a challenge – various estimates put current counts at between 50,000-65,000 orangutans left in the wild – we do know with certainty that 2,000 to 3,000 orangutans are killed every year. Helen Buckland, director of the Sumatran Orangutan Society (SOS), explains: “SOS’s strategy in saving Sumatran orangutans is to protect and restore their rainforest home. They do this by habitat protection, reintroduction of confiscated pets to the wild, education, survey work and scientific research. The Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP) runs the only rescue, rehabilitation and reintroduction programme for orangutans in Sumatra. All the species that share the rainforest have a part to play in the health of the ecosystem, but orangutans are sometimes referred to as ‘gardeners of the forest’ due to their special role. In Indonesia, the word orangutan translates to “people of the forest,” from “orang” meaning “people” and “hutan” meaning “forest.” Orangutans depend on trees more than many other rainforest animal. TOP wants to raise AU $25,000.00 (US $23,132.75) to assist with the operational costs of running the release site. Note: There are two distinct species of orangutans: the Bornean orangutan, Pongo pygmaeus, and the Sumatran orangutan, Pongo abelii. Since 2000 over 390 orangutans have been received at our specialist orangutan quarantine station, averaging more than 20 new arrivals per year. The Sumatran orangutan relies on forests, but the forests of Sumatra are under immense and mounting threat. As a consequence, the orangutans are losing their habitat. Conservation Efforts. Deforestation is the greatest threat to their survival because it destroys their home. Orangutans need trees…and so do we! At this rate of loss, many experts believe orangutans could be extinct in the wild in less than 50 years. A great way to help support SOCP's valuable work is to adopt an orphan! They are being torn down for farmlands, logging, mining and roads. One of the key ways we do that is by reclaiming land that was once lush, biodiverse forest and returning it to wildlife.” Dr Ian Singleton, director of the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP), has been working with orangutans in Sumatra for more than 20 years … But there is still a lot of work to be done! The Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP) works to conserve viable wild populations of the critically endangered Sumatran orangutan. The Solution: Protecting Orangutans Orangutans are amazing ambassadors for the Sumatran rainforest . Since this summer, we have stepped up our activities for the protection of the Tapanuli-Orangutan, because time is running out. The Orangutan is currently an endangered species, with the Sumatran Orangutan (P. albelii) listed on the critically endangered list.There are two main reasons for the decline in Orangutan populations: the destruction of their habitat and the illegal trade & poaching of the species. The complex of buildings known as the Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine (OCCQ) may be one nerve center of OFI’s (Orangutan Foundation International) operations in Borneo but stretching forth like branches from a tree are a network of camps, facilities, and posts. Much is being done to save the remaining tigers and to help increase their numbers. Wildlife preserves are being built on the tiger's natural habitat and studies are constantly being done to …