# Sumatran orangutan

> A great ape of northern Sumatra’s forest canopy. Its future depends on connected forests, regenerating trees, and safe coexistence with people.

Source: https://panduanhewan.org/en/species/sumatran-orangutan/ · Updated 7 October 2026 · English · Bahasa Indonesia: https://panduanhewan.org/id/spesies/orangutan-sumatera/
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**Review status:** Approved by team on 2026-10-07. Approval covers this version’s narrative, facts, quick answers and recorded locations in both languages.

## Quick answer

The Sumatran orangutan (*Pongo abelii*) is a mammal in the family Hominidae. Range in Indonesia: Northern Sumatra. It is endemic to Indonesia, living naturally only in Northern Sumatra (Aceh and North Sumatra). Diet: mainly fruit, with other plant matter and insects. IUCN Red List status: Critically Endangered. It is a legally protected species in Indonesia (Regulation P.106/2018).

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | *Pongo abelii* |
| Indonesian name | Orangutan Sumatera |
| Group | Mammals |
| Family | Hominidae |
| Range in Indonesia | Northern Sumatra |
| Linked habitats | [Tropical Rainforests](https://panduanhewan.org/en/habitats/tropical-rainforest/), [Freshwater Wetlands](https://panduanhewan.org/en/habitats/freshwater-wetlands/) |
| Range | Endemic to northern Sumatra |
| Diet | Mainly fruit, with other plant matter and insects |
| Habitat layer | Primarily the tree canopy |
| IUCN status | Critically Endangered · [WWF — Sumatran orangutan](https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/orangutan/sumatran-orangutan/) |
| Legal protection in Indonesia | Protected · [Regulation P.106/2018](https://jdih.kehutanan.go.id/new2/uploads/files/P_106_2018_JENIS_TSL_menlhk_07252019152513.pdf) · annex no. 61 |
| Population estimate | About 13,800 individuals in the wild · [Smithsonian's National Zoo — Orangutan](https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/orangutan) |
| Stronghold | More than 85% of Sumatran orangutans live in the Leuser Ecosystem (2.6 million ha, Aceh and North Sumatra) · [SOCP — Who we are](https://sumatranorangutan.org/who-we-are/) |
| Birth interval | Females give birth about every 7–9 years; young nurse until 6–7 years old · [Smithsonian's National Zoo — Orangutan](https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/orangutan) |
| Reproduction | Giving birth to live young (viviparous) · [Animal Diversity Web](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Mammalia/) |
| Observance days | [Indonesian Primate Day (30 January)](https://panduanhewan.org/en/animal-days-calendar/#hari-primata-indonesia); [International Orangutan Day (19 August)](https://panduanhewan.org/en/animal-days-calendar/#international-orangutan-day) |
| Active | Diurnal (active by day) · [Pongo abelii (Sumatran orangutan) - Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Pongo_abelii/) |
| Endemic to Indonesia | Yes — Northern Sumatra (Aceh and North Sumatra) · [IUCN Red List](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/121097935/259045437) |

## Distinguish three orangutan species

Sumatran orangutan refers to Pongo abelii. The Tapanuli orangutan, Pongo tapanuliensis, also lives in Sumatra but is a different species; the Bornean orangutan is Pongo pygmaeus. Check the scientific name when reading population estimates or conservation news so information about one species is not transferred to another.

Evidence: [SOCP — Biodiversity monitoring, research, and surveys](https://sumatranorangutan.org/what-we-do/biodiversity-monitoring-research-and-surveys/) · [Smithsonian’s National Zoo — Orangutan biology](https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/orangutan)

## Forest is a connected living space

Tree crowns provide movement routes, resting places, and food. Lowland and peat-swamp forests are important parts of orangutan landscapes. Roads and land clearance can separate forest patches; judging habitat only by the area of each patch misses the connections between them. Conservation must consider an entire landscape.

Evidence: [Sumatran Orangutan Society — Conservation challenges](https://www.orangutans-sos.org/learn/conservation-challenges/) · [SOCP — Biodiversity monitoring, research, and surveys](https://sumatranorangutan.org/what-we-do/biodiversity-monitoring-research-and-surveys/)

## Fruit and a long learning period

Fruit is an important food, with other items varying according to forest availability. Young orangutans learn from their mothers over many years. This long dependence helps explain why the loss of an adult or removal of an infant from the wild cannot be treated as a small impact that is quickly reversed.

Evidence: [Smithsonian’s National Zoo — Orangutan biology](https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/orangutan)

## Threats that interact

Forest loss, fragmentation, and capture for trade reinforce one another. Fragmented habitat can also increase encounters around farms and settlements. Solutions need habitat protection and work with local communities together; moving individual animals does not replace lost living space. Assess projects by what they protect over time.

Evidence: [Sumatran Orangutan Society — Conservation challenges](https://www.orangutans-sos.org/learn/conservation-challenges/) · [WWF — Sumatran orangutan](https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/orangutan/sumatran-orangutan/)

## What field research can tell us

SOCP describes monitoring at sites such as Sikundur and Suaq Balimbing to understand behaviour and habitat conditions. Repeated research can address questions that a tourism photograph cannot, including changes in space use. One sighting or striking video is not evidence that a population has recovered.

Evidence: [SOCP — Biodiversity monitoring, research, and surveys](https://sumatranorangutan.org/what-we-do/biodiversity-monitoring-research-and-surveys/)

## Make encounters responsible

Choose observation experiences that maintain distance and follow local management instructions. Decline offers to hold, feed, or pose while touching an orangutan. To help, examine forest-protection work and the outcomes organisations report. Avoid sharing precise locations that could increase disturbance or capture risk.

Evidence: [Sumatran Orangutan Society — Responsible ecotourism](https://www.orangutans-sos.org/sumatran-orangutans-and-the-real-value-of-ecotourism/)

## Scientific classification of the Sumatran orangutan

| Rank | Name |
|---|---|
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Primates |
| Family | Hominidae |
| Genus | *Pongo* |
| Species | *Pongo abelii* |

Source: [GBIF Backbone Taxonomy](https://www.gbif.org/dataset/d7dddbf4-2cf0-4f39-9b2a-bb099caae36c)

## Common questions about the Sumatran orangutan

### What is the scientific name of the Sumatran orangutan?

The scientific name of the Sumatran orangutan is *Pongo abelii*, in the family Hominidae. In Indonesian it is called Orangutan Sumatera.

### What kind of animal is the Sumatran orangutan?

The Sumatran orangutan is a mammal in the family Hominidae. It is also endemic to Indonesia.

### Where does the Sumatran orangutan live in Indonesia?

In Indonesia, this guide records the Sumatran orangutan in: Northern Sumatra.

The Sumatran orangutan is endemic to Indonesia and lives naturally only in Northern Sumatra (Aceh and North Sumatra). Source: [IUCN Red List](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/121097935/259045437).

Source-supported habitats: [Tropical Rainforests](https://panduanhewan.org/en/habitats/tropical-rainforest/), [Freshwater Wetlands](https://panduanhewan.org/en/habitats/freshwater-wetlands/).

### What does the Sumatran orangutan eat?

Diet of the Sumatran orangutan: mainly fruit, with other plant matter and insects.

### How does the Sumatran orangutan reproduce?

The Sumatran orangutan reproduces by giving birth to live young (viviparous). Source: [Animal Diversity Web](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Mammalia/).

### Is the Sumatran orangutan nocturnal?

The cited source records the Sumatran orangutan as diurnal (active by day). Source: [Pongo abelii (Sumatran orangutan) - Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Pongo_abelii/).

See also [the list of nocturnal and diurnal animals in Indonesia](https://panduanhewan.org/en/species/nocturnal-and-diurnal-animals/).

### How large is the population of the Sumatran orangutan?

About 13,800 individuals in the wild. Source: [Smithsonian's National Zoo — Orangutan](https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/orangutan). Wild population figures are estimates and can differ between surveys.

### What is the scientific classification of the Sumatran orangutan?

Scientific classification of the Sumatran orangutan: kingdom Animalia, phylum Chordata, class Mammalia, order Primates, family Hominidae, genus *Pongo*, species *Pongo abelii*.

Source: [GBIF Backbone Taxonomy](https://www.gbif.org/dataset/d7dddbf4-2cf0-4f39-9b2a-bb099caae36c), adjusted to the ranks commonly used in school biology.

### Is the Sumatran orangutan endangered?

Yes. The global conservation status of the Sumatran orangutan: Critically Endangered. In the IUCN system, this category means it is considered to face an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. Source: [WWF — Sumatran orangutan](https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/orangutan/sumatran-orangutan/).

This global category is separate from national legal protection. [Is the Sumatran orangutan protected in Indonesia?](#protected)

### Is the Sumatran orangutan protected in Indonesia?

Yes. The Sumatran orangutan (*Pongo abelii*) is a protected species in Indonesia under [Environment and Forestry Ministerial Regulation No. P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018 on protected plant and animal species](https://jdih.kehutanan.go.id/new2/uploads/files/P_106_2018_JENIS_TSL_menlhk_07252019152513.pdf) (annex, entry 61).

Article 21(2) of Law No. 5 of 1990, as amended by Law No. 32 of 2024, prohibits anyone from hunting, catching, injuring, killing, storing, owning, keeping, transporting or trading a protected animal, alive or dead, including its body parts, eggs and nests.

If you see this animal being traded, kept or injured, contact the [local BKSDA office](https://panduanhewan.org/en/bksda-offices/).

### Can the Sumatran orangutan be kept as a pet?

No. Because the Sumatran orangutan is a protected species, catching, owning, keeping, transporting or trading it without a permit is prohibited by law. Trading without a permit through electronic media is also prohibited.

If you see this animal for sale or being kept, report it to the [local BKSDA office](https://panduanhewan.org/en/bksda-offices/).

## Sources & references

1. [SOCP — Biodiversity monitoring, research, and surveys](https://sumatranorangutan.org/what-we-do/biodiversity-monitoring-research-and-surveys/)
2. [Smithsonian’s National Zoo — Orangutan biology](https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/orangutan)
3. [Sumatran Orangutan Society — Conservation challenges](https://www.orangutans-sos.org/learn/conservation-challenges/)
4. [WWF — Sumatran orangutan](https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/orangutan/sumatran-orangutan/)
5. [Sumatran Orangutan Society — Responsible ecotourism](https://www.orangutans-sos.org/sumatran-orangutans-and-the-real-value-of-ecotourism/)
6. [Peraturan Menteri LHK Nomor P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018 tentang Jenis Tumbuhan dan Satwa yang Dilindungi](https://jdih.kehutanan.go.id/new2/uploads/files/P_106_2018_JENIS_TSL_menlhk_07252019152513.pdf)
7. [SOCP — Who we are](https://sumatranorangutan.org/who-we-are/)
8. [Animal Diversity Web](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Mammalia/)
9. [IUCN Red List](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/121097935/259045437)
10. [Pongo abelii (Sumatran orangutan) - Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Pongo_abelii/)
11. [GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (GBIF)](https://www.gbif.org/dataset/d7dddbf4-2cf0-4f39-9b2a-bb099caae36c)

## Further reading

[Orangutan: facts, threats and conservation](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/orangutan/) — World Animal Rescue Network. A broader overview that covers this animal.

_Related site: PanduanHewan’s founder is also a director of World Animal Rescue Network._

## Keep exploring

- [Tropical Rainforests](https://panduanhewan.org/en/habitats/tropical-rainforest/)
- [Freshwater Wetlands](https://panduanhewan.org/en/habitats/freshwater-wetlands/)
- [Sumatran elephant](https://panduanhewan.org/en/species/sumatran-elephant/)
- [Sumatran tiger](https://panduanhewan.org/en/species/sumatran-tiger/)
- [Reporting Suspected Wildlife Trafficking](https://panduanhewan.org/en/emergency/report-wildlife-trade/)
- [Bornean orangutan](https://panduanhewan.org/en/species/bornean-orangutan/)
- [Tapanuli orangutan](https://panduanhewan.org/en/species/tapanuli-orangutan/)
- [Siamang](https://panduanhewan.org/en/species/siamang/)
- [Helmeted hornbill](https://panduanhewan.org/en/species/helmeted-hornbill/)

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Cite: PanduanHewan. (2026). Sumatran orangutan. PanduanHewan.org. https://panduanhewan.org/en/species/sumatran-orangutan/