A cyclone that brought catastrophic flooding and devastating landslides to Indonesia wiped out more than 7% of the global population of the world’s rarest great apes, a new study has found. The cyclone, known as Cyclone Senyar, slammed into the Indonesian island of Sumatra last November, killing nearly 60 of the 800 Tapanuli orangutans remaining in the wild.

Impact on Orangutan Population

The cyclone has pushed these critically endangered orangutans closer to extinction, the study scientists said. The Tapanuli orangutans recover extremely slowly, as females tend to only give birth every six to nine years, making it difficult for the population to rebound.

The researchers used satellite data to identify more than 20,000 acres of landslide scars — visible patches of rock, soil, and debris — which wiped out nearly 12% of forest cover in this region. The landslides happened as extremely heavy rainfall saturated the ground, causing parts of the hillside to suddenly break away.

The analysis found 58 Tapanuli orangutans were killed, accounting for 11% of the local population and 7% of the total global population. The numbers may be conservative, the scientists said, as they used estimates of population density.

Call to Action

The findings have prompted calls for the Indonesian government to enforce stronger conservation measures to protect the endangered species. Climate change-fueled extreme weather is adding to the risks the orangutans already face as the forests they live in are cleared for roads, farming, and industry.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.