A cyclone that brought catastrophic flooding and devastating landslides to Indonesia has 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, killed nearly 60 of the 800 Tapanuli orangutans remaining in the wild.

Impact on the 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 analysis found 58 Tapanuli orangutans were killed, accounting for 11% of the local population and 7% of the total global population.

The orangutans’ deaths are a huge blow to a very vulnerable species. The findings have prompted calls for the Indonesian government to enforce stronger conservation measures to protect the endangered species.

Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.