The daily ration of fruit for an orangutan on Sumatra

Only 5,000 to 7,000 Sumatran orangutans roam the jungles of Asia. Because the last rainforests are being cleared for the huge monocultures, the home of the red-haired apes is disappearing - with dramatic consequences: They are in acute danger of extinction (IUCN et al., 2015). Many animals starve to death, some stray into the plantations. There they look for food and are shot as pests, and the young are often sold illegally as pets. The Sumatran orangutan protection program (SOCP) is fighting to prevent the extinction of this species. The rescue center on the Indonesian island looks after homeless animals and animals kept illegally as pets. The animals are often traumatized and sick and have to be cared for and rehabilitated in the center. One day, the animals should be able to lead a life in freedom again. By releasing the animals into the wild, not only is the survival of the species in the wild ensured, but also that of many other species, because as “gardeners of the forest”, orangutans distribute the seeds of the fruits they eat and thus ensure the preservation of the rainforest.