In a devastating blow to the world’s rarest ape, the Tapanuli orangutan, recent floods and landslides in Indonesia’s fragile Batang Toru ecosystem have wiped out up to 11% of the species’ population of around 800 individuals. This ecological catastrophe has prompted the Indonesian government to take decisive action, revoking the permits of 28 companies operating in the area and issuing hefty fines to six others for alleged environmental damage.
The floods and landslides that tore through the region in November 2024 claimed the lives of over 1,100 people, and investigators have been searching for evidence that the extractive companies in the area may have contributed to the disaster by damaging the Batang Toru and Garoga watersheds. The government’s Forestry Area Regulation Task Force has now concluded its investigation, leading to the revocation of permits for companies such as PT Agincourt Resources, the operator of the Martabe gold mine, and PT North Sumatera Hydro Energy, the developer of a hydropower project along the Batang Toru River.
The Indonesian Environment Ministry has also issued fines totalling 4.8 trillion rupiah (£211 million) to six unnamed companies for their alleged role in the environmental damage spanning 2,500 hectares (6,200 acres) in the region’s watersheds. While some scientists argue that the landslides were primarily caused by extreme rainfall affecting steep slopes, the impact of the mining and hydropower projects on the Tapanuli orangutan’s habitat is undeniable.
Conservationists have long urged the government to strengthen protections for the Batang Toru region, which is the sole habitat of the critically endangered Tapanuli orangutan. Preliminary assessments suggest that between 6.2% and 10.5% of the species’ population likely perished in the recent disaster. Biological anthropologist Erik Meijaard noted that a team will soon visit the area to fully assess the impact on the orangutans.
The Indonesian government’s actions have been hailed as a victory for the Tapanuli orangutan, but environmental campaigners emphasize the need for permanent measures to end deforestation and restore the damage that has been done. As the age of extinction continues to threaten the world’s most vulnerable species, the fate of the Tapanuli orangutan hangs in the balance, and the government’s commitment to its protection will be crucial in determining the future of this rare and precious ape.
