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Indonesian Deadliest flood in decades The world’s rarest great ape has been pushed closer to extinction, as scientists warn that vast areas of forest vital to the survival of the Tapanuli orangutan have been destroyed by landslides and excessive rainfall.
conservationists say Cyclone induced floods and landslides Floods that swept through parts of northern Sumatra late last month not only killed hundreds of people, but also devastated the fragile habitat of a critically endangered species that exists only in a small mountainous area of the island.
The Tapanuli orangutan was only formally recognized as a distinct species in 2017 and is already on the verge of extinction. Less than 800 are believed to remain in the wild, all restricted to the Batang Toru ecosystem in Sumatra.
Local rangers say the animals have almost disappeared from areas where they were regularly seen before the disaster.
“After the landslide, orangutans are nowhere to be seen,” said Amran Siyagian, a ranger at the Orangutan Information Center (OIC), who has worked in the forests around Sipirok in South Tapanuli for five years. “I can’t hear his voice anymore,” he told Reuters.
“They used to come to this place to eat fruits. But now it seems it has become their graveyard,” Deki Chandra, another humanitarian worker, told the BBC.
Excessive rainfall associated with Cyclone Senyar causes floods and landslides in Indonesia killed more than 900 people Across the country, hundreds of people are still missing. Entire hills collapsed, forests, fields and villages were washed away and remote communities were cut off.
Satellite imagery and ground assessments show that large sections of the Batang Toru forest were emptied of mud, trees and torrents of water.
Conservationists have confirmed the death of at least one orangutan, and warned that more may have died but have not been recovered from areas buried under debris.
Orangutan Information Center founder Panut Hadisiswoyo said the loss of even one animal is a blow to the species.
The floods have increased the pressure already faced by the monkeys. “Forest loss due to plantations and the extractive industry is the biggest threat,” he told Reuters.
Environmental groups have long warned that deforestation linked to logging, mining and plantation expansion has weakened the hills and increased the risk of devastating landslides in the area.
In Sipirok, trees appear to have been cut down in areas most affected by flooding. Mr Siyagian said logging had been occurring there for at least a year before the disaster, fragmenting the forest canopy on which the orangutans depend for movement, food and reproduction.
“Orangutans live among the forest canopy, moving from branch to branch,” he said. “If the forest is sparse, it will be harder for them.”
Scientists warned that the floods could cause extinction-level disturbances for species.
“We think six to 11 percent of the orangutans may have been killed,” longtime orangutan conservationist Eric Mijard told AFP news agency.
“Any kind of adult mortality rate that’s more than one percent, you’re driving the species toward extinction, no matter how large the population was to begin with,” he said.
Scientists confirmed this week that ocean temperatures have increased due to the heat Climate change intensifies rainfall across Southeast AsiaWarmer seas and heavy rains have increased the likelihood of devastating floods and landslides, especially in deforested or heavily developed areas,
Conservationists are urging authorities to stop further development in the orangutan’s remaining habitat, expand protected areas and conduct urgent surveys to assess population loss.
“If there is no government help, orangutans could become extinct here,” Mr Siyagian warned. “Especially with this massive deforestation.”