Visiting Orangutans In Borneo

Visiting orangutans in Borneo is an experience you will simply never forget. These incredible apes are currently considered critically endangered on the IUCN Red List, and if you choose to head over to Borneo as an orangutan volunteer you will make a difference to the lives of one of our closest relatives.

Borneo as a stand-alone destination is incredible, with its rich jungles and unique history, including the once feared Iban headhunting tribe, along with its arboreal residents. On top of that, the island is teeming with kaleidoscopic biodiversity that is waiting to be discovered but also needs protecting. By taking part in one of our projects, you will play a vital role in improving the lives of orangutans in sanctuaries through to preparing them for release back into the wild. 

Visiting the orangutans in this incredible country is something that you would never forget, so what are you waiting for? Check out our amazing volunteering projects today and help change the lives of the orangutans!

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Orangutans At A Glance

ENDANGERED STATUS
Critically Endangered
NUMBER REMAINING IN THE WILD
60,600
ENDEMIC REGION
Borneo and Sumatra

How Endangered are orangutans?

Orangutans are considered to be one of the most endangered animals on Earth, and this is partly due to the limited area they call home. The Bornean rainforests in which they reside are being lost at an alarming rate, and this has caused populations of the Great Ape to drop very suddenly.

100 years ago orangutan numbers were around 230,000, but in the period since then, the threats to the Great apes have increased 10-fold and now their numbers are much lower. Bornean orangutans are estimated to number around 54,000 and their Sumatran relatives a much smaller 6,600, and unless something changes soon these numbers could continue to drop.

Threats Orangutans Are Facing

Orangutans are facing many different threats to their survival. Some are obvious such as poachers and the illegal pet trade, but others are not as obvious, and they include:

  • Environmental Issues – as is so often the case with the world’s wildlife, one small change in the environmental surroundings can deeply impact an individual animal. The thing that orangutans suffer from most often is a loss of their forest habitat, as it is often taken to create palm oil plantations.
  • Forest Fires – farmers in Borneo often use the slash and burn technique to help clear the land so that they can use it for other agricultural purposes. This results in a lack of land for the apes to live on.
Fast Facts
  • Females hold most of the power in the orangutan world, and once they have mated they completely abandon the males and care for their young on their own!
  • Orangutans are the least social of all primates, and the females will spend just 25% of their time with other orangutans and the males just 9%!
  • In Malay, orangutan means "man of the forest" so it is a very appropriate name for these beautiful animals!
Where you can go
Contact Info
UK Office
The Great Traveller Ltd,
3 Dairy Yard
Star Street
Ware, Hertfordshire
SG12 7DX
United Kingdom

Opening hours:
   Mon-Fri 8:30am–5:30pm
   Sat 10am-4pm

T: +44(0) 208 885 4987