Cyclone Senyar Poses Extinction-Level Threat to Tapanuli Orangutans

On 12th December 2025, scientists warned that Cyclone Senyar may have caused catastrophic losses to the critically endangered Tapanuli orangutan, raising fears of an extinction-level threat following massive flooding and landslides in northern Sumatra.

  • The Tapanuli orangutan is a critically endangered great ape, formally recognised as a distinct species in 2017.
  • With an estimated fewer than 800 individuals remaining in the wild, it is regarded as the rarest great ape on the planet.
  • Occurs exclusively within the Batang Toru Ecosystem across three Tapanuli districts in North Sumatra, Indonesia.
  • Confined to highly fragmented upland and sub-montane rainforests south of Lake Toba, now occupying less than ....
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