At least 7% of world’s rarest orangutans wiped out by four days of rain and mudslides

As a huge orangutan fan, I was so excited when the Tapanuli orangutan was officially recognized as a separate species back in 2017. But they’re also the rarest ape in the world – there are less than 800 left! It was devastating to hear about Cyclone Senyar hitting them in November 2025. Sadly, at least 58 of these incredible animals were killed, which is a huge loss for such a tiny population.


