This article was written by the Sarawak Forestry Corporation.
Bornean orangutan populations in Sarawak have stabilised to about 2,000 individuals in the past few decades, thanks to the Sarawak Government commitment and comprehensive conservation efforts which includes collaborations with NGOs, communities and the private sector.
Orangutan is more than just an iconic species to Sarawak. It is an umbrella species – meaning protecting its habitat benefits a wide range of other wildlife, forests and forest ecosystems. As a tree-dwelling primate, its survival relies on large, intact rainforest landscapes. Protecting this species also benefits the people, particularly those living near the orangutan habitat.
There are three subspecies of Bornean orangutans. The subspecies that occur in Sarawak is the northwest Pongo pygmaeus pygmaeus, which is also found in northern West Kalimantan, Indonesia. The northwest orangutans are the rarest among all. The other two subspecies are the northeast Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus morio), found in Sabah and East Kalimantan; and Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii in southern West Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan.
Categorised as critically endangered by the IUCN since 2016, 71,000 Bornean orangutans are estimated left in the island, out of which about 11,000 are in Sabah and about 2,000 only in Sarawak. (Source: Final Report of Orangutan Population and Habitat Viability Assessment [2016]).
Setting aside undisturbed forests for orangutans
The Sarawak Government gazetted large swaths of primary and secondary forested areas known for their orangutan populations as totally protected areas (TPAs) between 1983 and 2013. Today, these areas cover over 230,000 hectares. One such TPA is Lanjak-Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary, gazetted in 1983, is for the sole purpose of research. It is the largest TPA for orangutans in the state.
Second to this is Batang Ai National Park with 24,040 hectares gazetted in 1990, and it was further extended to 2,119 hectares in 2024. In 2010, Ulu Sebuyau National Park covering 18,287 hectares was gazetted in 2010, Sedilu National Park, 6,311 hectares. Gunung Lesong National Park, the smallest TPA in the state covering 595 hectares was gazetted in 2013. All of these TPAs support nearly 2,000 orangutans in the wild, with an estimated 95% of the population concentrated in Lanjak-Entimau and Batang Ai areas.
Sarawak Forestry Corporation’s (SFC) innovative efforts
As the state’s guardian to biodiversity and TPAs, SFC has developed innovative efforts to ensure its conservation efforts are effective and sustainable. Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) general manager Abang Arbi Abang Aimran says, “Over the years, among others, SFC has carried out research projects through the RIMBA initiative with the Smithsonian, using camera traps to monitor orangutan movements and behaviour.”
Collaboration with NGOs, academia, the private sector and communities
Over the years, the Sarawak Government has forged strong partnerships with NGOs, academia, the private sector and communities in strengthening their conservation efforts.
Collaborations and partnerships with NGOs such as WWF-Malaysia and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) ensure that a concerted effort is maintained to conserve this iconic species long into the future. Marked nest count is the method used to estimate the species’ population among researchers. “Researchers and their field assistants often spend weeks at a time deep in the forests, looking up at the trees trying to spot for orangutan nests,” Abang Arabi explains.
In 2013, Abang Arabi says SFC together with the Forest Department Sarawak, WCSMalaysia Programme and Borneo Adventure carried out a survey in Ulu Sungai Menyang, further south of Batang Ai National Park. There was a substantial orangutan population occurred in the area with 995 orangutan nests recorded, while 22 sightings of orangutan noted during the survey. They carried out another survey in 2014 at the south-western part of the national park, and recorded 53 orangutan nests which showed that there were orangutans in this area. Those surveys resulted in Ulu Sungai Menyang recognised as a special conservation area for orangutans by the Sarawak Government.
These organisations also carry out community engagement and awareness work with the indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs), the Ibans, who reside surrounding the TPAs, he says.
Iban communities co-habit the forest with orangutans in Sarawak. The Ibans are also engaged as local guides and field assistants who contributed tremendously in the orangutan survey. Their local wisdom and knowledge of the landscape are a big part of the overall conservation effort.
Moreover, there is a common taboo in Iban culture within these landscapes – they believe that orangutans are the reincarnation of their ancestors and elders. For example, the community of Batang Ai (this story is understood by all Iban communities in this area) shared that orangutans could speak their language and has helped a man in the past to find his way out of the jungle. The lost man also learned from the orangutans to use ginger for post-natal care. Hence, they cannot harm this species. This taboo strengthens their sense of ownership over orangutans, which ultimately helps to ensure orangutans in the area are unharmed.
The private sector also plays an important part in the conservation of orangutans in Sarawak, further supporting the government’s initiative. One notable effort is the development of responsible and successful ecotourism by a local company, Borneo Adventure, that has formulated a win-win partnership with IPLCs in Batang Ai for about 30 years.
SFC has also did a survey to record the fruit trees that were eaten by the orangutan and a total of 89 species of fruit trees were recorded within the Batang Ai National Park. These are some of the fruit trees that are commonly eaten by the orangutan. This information was based on direct observation and also knowledge from the local communities in the Batang Ai area. (Source: Orangutan Habitat Monitoring: Fruit Trees For Orangutan in Batang Ai NP by Silang, S, Laman, C.J & Demies, M. pp177- 189. Hornbills, Vol. 8 (2007)).
Challenges ahead
While Sarawak celebrates its success in protecting orangutans, the species still face some threats to its survival. As the state stands at the edge of progress, which it rightly needs, demands in development and infrastructure put increasing pressure to open up forest areas adjacent to TPAs for rural roads. While development is much needed especially in the hinterlands of Sarawak, emerging needs will increasingly contend with the survival needs of the iconic orangutans. However, there is no reason why a balance cannot be struck between development and conservation.
“Orangutans do not recognise boundaries between TPAs and non-TPAs such as community farms and state land. More than often, orangutans roam outside TPAs as observed or documented by our partners when they carried out marked nest count. Rural roads are coming in and are cutting across the landscapes where orangutans are spotted in Batang Ai, Gunung Lesong and Ulu Sebuyau national parks,” says Abang Arabi.
WWF-Malaysia Head of Conservation Cynthia Chin shares that the Sarawak’s terrestrial mammals team members carried out orangutan surveys between AugustOctober 2024 (Phase 1) and April-June 2025 (Phase 2), together with communities from Ulu Sungai Menyang, Batang Ai. Initial findings from these surveys are vital information to create a balance between conservation and development in the area.
“Each phase of the survey included three rounds. In the first round, the team recorded all orangutan nests they found in the survey areas, from freshly built to older ones. In the following rounds, they focused only on fresh nests that had appeared since the first count. Each survey phase took 42 days to complete. To date, the team marked and counted a total of 259 orangutan nests in total.”
During those surveys, Chin adds that they also spotted orangutans and heard their long calls echoing through the trees, strong signs that these great apes still inhabit the area which is outside the TPA. “Each nest counted gives us vital information about how many orangutans remain and where they are. This helps us prioritise our conservation efforts where they matter most, giving orangutans the best chance of survival. We will be sharing the data with our stakeholders such as SFC, Public Works Department, Sri Aman Resident Office, Natural Resources and Environment Board Sarawak and IPLCs in the landscape so that they can make informed and sound decisions when proposing development projects for the people,” she explains.
Conclusion
Orangutans are guardians and gardeners of the rainforest, helping to disperse seeds and maintain the very forests we all depend on. Protecting them means protecting ourselves and livelihoods. Collaboration among different government agencies, NGOs, academia, the private sector and communities are crucial to ensure this great ape continue to thrive in the wild. Instead of seeing wildlife like orangutans as competing with humans for resources and space, let’s share these with them. If we do not stand and speak up for our iconic species, who will?