Indonesia cracks down on mining companies after devastating floods kill 11% of world’s rarest orangutans

Indonesia has taken enforcement action against extractive companies following catastrophic floods and landslides that devastated the Batang Toru ecosystem in November 2024, wiping out up to 11% of the critically endangered Tapanuli orangutan population. The disaster also claimed more than 1,100 human lives as torrents of mud and logs swept through local villages.

The Tapanuli orangutan, discovered only in 2017, is the world’s rarest great ape species with fewer than 800 individuals remaining in the wild. The species exists exclusively in the fragile Batang Toru forest ecosystem of North Sumatra, making any population loss devastating for their long-term survival.

Following weeks of investigation, authorities examined whether mining and logging operations had compromised the Batang Toru and Garoga watersheds prior to the November disaster. Environmental degradation from extractive industries can increase flood and landslide risks by removing forest cover that naturally stabilizes soil and regulates water flow.

Conservationists have welcomed Indonesia’s enforcement measures as “desperately needed” but emphasize that stronger protections are essential to prevent future ecological catastrophes. The tragedy highlights the urgent need to balance economic development with environmental protection in one of the world’s most biodiverse regions. With the Tapanuli orangutan already teetering on the brink of extinction, every individual lost brings the species closer to disappearing forever, underscoring the critical importance of preserving their remaining habitat from further industrial encroachment.