Sumatran Orangutan
Orangutans are the only Great Ape found outside of Africa. The Sumatran Orangutan is Critically Endangered.
Their numbers in the wild have declined drastically from more than 12,000 in the mid 1990’s to just 6,500 in recent times. With less than 900,000 hectares of suitable habitat remaining, it’s possible that this could be the first Great Ape to become Extinct in the Wild.
Chester Zoo’s captivating Sumatran Orangutans can be found living in our world-class Realm of the Red Ape exhibit.
Puluh, our spectacular mature male is powerful and solid to look at; he’s actually very gentle and quite shy. Puluh has fathered six offspring, including our two youngest Sumatran Orangutans, Indah, who was born in 2008, and Kirana, in 2009.
Sisters, Subis and Emma are our breeding females were both born here, in 1986 and 1987 respectively. We are very proud of our successful orangutan breeding record here at Chester Zoo and all of orangutans are part of a European Endangered Species Breeding Programme.
Through our Realm of the Red Ape Conservation Programme, Chester Zoo is supporting the conservation of wild Sumatran and Bornean Orangutans. Orangutans are a "keystone" species for conservation. By working to restore and protect their forest habitats, we’re not only helping to safeguard their future, but that of all the plants and animals within their forest ecosystem.
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Species Information
Where they live: Island of Sumatra, Southeast Asia
Habitat: Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests in the lowlands as well as mountainous areas up to an elevation of 1500m.
Size: Up to 1.4m tall.
Weight: Up to 90kg
Conservation status: IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
Threats: Widespread habitat loss for agricultural development, particularly for palm plantations. Habitat destruction and fragmentation caused by logging. Severe droughts and loss of habitat to forests fires due to increasing incidence of the El Niño climatic event. Hunting for the bushmeat trade, traditional medicine, or the pet trade