A new species of great ape was discovered a few months ago, living in Northern Sumatra in Indonesia.

Unfortunately, this species is already an endangered one.  There are just fewer than 800 Tapanuli orangutans alive.

Sign here to help save the Tapanuli orangutan

Their prospects of survival as a species is plummeting because a Chinese state-owned company called Sinohydro is planning to build a hydrodam right in the middle of the Tapanuli orangutan population’s habitat.

If the company goes ahead, it will cut the orangutan population in two which will make it much harder for the species to survive.   They won’t be able to connect. 

It is expected that the building of the dam, plus the roads, tunnels and electricity lines needed to go with it, will cause the extinction of two of the three sub-populations and destroy the most important habitat.

The incredible thing is that the Indonesian government approved this dam but the orangutan is a protected species.   The Indonesian law prohibits actions which harm a protected species so why this dam has been allowed to go ahead is a mystery.

Sign the petition today calling on the Indonesian government to save the Tapanuli orangutan and revoke approval of Sinohydro's Batang Toru dam!

You can find out more about the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme here.