Floods push the rare Tapanuli orangutan toward extinction, study warns

Four days of extreme rain and landslides from Cyclone Senyar in Sumatra killed about 58 of the fewer than 800 Tapanuli orangutans—roughly 7% of the species. The loss is likely underestimated due to canopy damage and reduced food, and experts warn that such climate-driven events threaten the orangutans’ survival. Indonesia paused major development in Batang Toru to help assess ecological risks, and researchers urge sustained international support to prevent the first modern extinction of a great ape.