Orangutan populations have declined drastically in the last century and especially in recent decades. The most recent survey results suggest only around 14,000 Sumatran orangutans remain on the island. Due to its rate of decline, caused by habitat clearing and fragmentation, hunting, and illegal pet trade, the species is listed by the IUCN as Critically Endangered.
Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme
Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme
The Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP), in collaboration with the government, works to confiscate, rehabilitate, and reintroduce orangutans rescued from the pet trade.
Well over 200 orangutans have now been returned to the wild and two entirely new wild populations are gradually being established, as a backup “safety net” for the remaining wild population.
Previous Auckland Zoo Conservation Fund grants have provided funding for upgrading facilities, services, staff, and equipment at SOCP’s Jantho Orangutan Reintroduction Programme in Aceh Province, Sumatra. The goal is to continually improve the health and welfare of all orangutans under SOCP's care and maximise reintroduction success after they have been returned to the wild.
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