Orangutans are on their way toward extinction, says a new study that points out worrying declines in fuzzy-orange-ape populations. Orangutans only live in the wild on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo; the Sumatra orangutan population has dropped nearly 14 percent since 2004, while the Borneo population has fallen 10 percent. “Unless extraordinary efforts are made soon, it could become the first great ape species to go extinct,” wrote researchers publishing in the journal Oryx. Illegal logging and palm-oil production are the main culprits; orangutan-lovers hold on to hope that any imminent international climate pact will include incentives for halting deforestation.
