RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The vulnerability of Indonesia’s orangutan population has prompted the Ministry of Forestry to strengthen conservation strategies, ranging from surveys and habitat protection to long-term rescue measures.

Deputy Minister of Forestry, Rohmat Marzuki, said the results of the 2021–2023 orangutan population survey are crucial for developing more effective and targeted conservation policies.

“Orangutan conservation is a shared responsibility. Its success can only be achieved through strong collaboration between the government, academics, conservation partners, businesses, and the community,” Rohmat said in a statement on Monday, July 20, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

At the National Seminar on Reflections on a Decade of Collaborative Conservation of Sumatran and Tapanuli Orangutans in Medan, Rohmat revealed that the Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) population is estimated at 11,694, while the Tapanuli orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis) numbers about 716.

The survey results underscore ongoing challenges. A decline in Sumatran orangutans compared to 2011 and the high vulnerability of Tapanuli orangutans in the Batang Toru landscape highlight the need for stronger conservation efforts.

In line with the Ministry of Forestry’s Strategic Plan, the Directorate General of Natural Resources and Ecosystem Conservation is intensifying biodiversity protection by improving conservation area management, safeguarding habitats, enforcing laws, and developing preservation zones both inside and outside forest areas.

The ministry is also compiling a Population and Habitat Viability Assessment (PHVA) to inform long-term conservation strategies. This step supports the Indonesian Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (IBSAP) 2025–2045, which places species and biodiversity protection as a national priority.

“Surveys and data collection are crucial to supporting the IBSAP’s species and biodiversity protection. Collaboration among all stakeholders is vital for systematic, adaptive, and sustainable conservation of Sumatran and Tapanuli orangutans,” said Rohmat. ***