Orangutans are vitally important in the rainforest as they help to spread seeds around and this makes the forest a richer and more biodiverse habitat. However, rainforests are often cut down to make way for palm oil plantations instead and this means that the orang-utans have less and less space in which to live. They are also often hunted for meat or the pet trade. Climate change is further altering the rainforest's natural cycles, meaning that there may not be enough food available to meet the orangutans' needs.
We can help by doing simple actions such as making sure we don't buy products that contain palm oil as this will reduce the amount of plantations needed. The WWF also have an 'Adopt an Orangutan' scheme where you can pay to make sure an orangutan is looked after in its natural habitat. Charities like the WWF are also investing in schemes such as Forest Certification and Tree Planting to make sure that the habitats of orang-utans are restored.
Click here to find out more about how to help orangutans:
