Tanjung Puting National Park
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Summary
- Southwest Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) are present in Tanjung Puting National Park.
- The population size is estimated to be 6,000 individuals.
- The orangutan population trend is unknown.
- The total site area is 4082.86 km².
- The main reported threats include illegal logging, forest fires, mining, and human-orangutan disease transmission.
- The main conservation activities have focused on raising awareness in the community, eco-toursim activities and restoring habitats.
Site characteristics
Tanjung Puting National Park lies along Borneo’s south-central coastline and spans about 4,000 square kilometers. Its landscape includes freshwater peat swamps, lowland dipterocarp forests, and heath forests. Orangutans occupy roughly 75% of the park, although between a third and half of the area has suffered environmental degradation (WWF 2005).
Table 1. Basic site information for Tanjung Puting National Park
| Species | Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii |
| Area | 4082.86 km² |
| Coordinates | Lat: -2.984189 , Lon: 111.932640 |
| Type of site | Protected area (National Park) |
| Habitat types | Subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest, Subtropical/tropical swamp forest |
| Type of governance | Governance by government |
Types of sites Governance types Habitat types
Ape status
Table 2. Ape population estimates reported for Tanjung Puting National Park
| Species | Year | Occurrence | Encounter or vistation rate (nests/km; ind/day) | Density estimate [ind./ km²] (95% CI) | Abundance estimate (95% CI) | Survey area | Sampling method | Analytical framework | Source | Comments | A.P.E.S. database ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii | 2004 | Tanjung Puting National Park | Singleton et al. 2004 | Although the park supports a substantial and viable orangutan population, recent estimates suggest that approximately 6,000 individuals still inhabit the reserve (Singleton et al. 2004). |
Sampling methods Analytical frameworks
Threats
Table 3. Threats to apes reported for Tanjung Puting National Park
| Category | Specific threats | Threat level | Description | Year of threat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Energy production & mining | 3.2 Mining & quarrying | Present (unknown severity) | Illegal mining activities reported, details unknown (WWF 2005). | Ongoing (2005) |
| 5 Biological resource use | 5.3 Logging & wood harvesting | Present (unknown severity) | Illegal logging has been identified as the primary threat, and addressing this issue remains highly challenging (WWF 2005). | Ongoing (2005) |
| 7 Natural system modifications | 7.1 Fire & fire suppression | Present (unknown severity) | Wildfires were also documented (WWF 2005). | Ongoing (2005) |
| 8 Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | 8.4 Pathogens | Present (unknown severity) | The close contact between humans and orangutans at tourist locations is still a concern, as their genetic similarity increases the risk of spreading diseases between the two species (Gillespie et al. 2008). Research at Tanjung Puting has found that ex-captive orangutans are social by nature, frequently moving in groups and initiating play with wild females and their young, as well as interacting with nests. However, these individuals have also been exposed to human-borne illnesses, with cases of respiratory and skin infections being transmitted among them (Yeager 1997). | 1997-Ongoing (2008) |
Conservation activities
Table 4. Conservation activities reported for Tanjung Puting National Park
| Category | Specific activity | Description | Implementing organization(s) | Year of activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Protection & restoration | 5.2 Legally protect ape habitat | Tanjung Puting National Park has held protected status since 1982 (Sherman et al. 2022). | 1982-Ongoing (2026) | |
| 5 Protection & restoration | 5.6 Habitat restoration | Habitat management activities were reported to be present (Sherman et al. 2022). | Ongoing (2022) | |
| 8 Permanent presence | 8.2 Run tourist projects and ensure permanent human presence at site | Visitors have the opportunity to see/visit ex-captive orangutans in three designated zones of the park—Camp Leakey, Tanjung Harapan, and Pondok Tanggui (Brend 2006). | Ongoing (2006) | |
| 4 Education & awareness | Other | Community outreach and capacity building activities were reported, but details are unknown (Sherman et al. 2022). | Ongoing (2022) |
Challenges
Enablers
Research activities
Since 1971, NGOs and research organizations have been conducting research in Tanjung Puting National Park (Sherman et al. 2022). Research at Camp Leakey, OuTrop, and Pondok Ambung began in the 1970s–80s and continues to provide key data on orangutan demographics, nesting density, health, and behavior (Rahman 2010).
Documented behaviours
Exposure to climate change impacts
External links
References
Brend, S. (2006). Tanjung Puting National Park: Orangutans and their habitat. The Orangutan Foundation & Yayorin.
Gillespie, T. R., Nunn, C. L., & Leendertz, F. H. (2008). Integrative approaches to the study of primate infectious disease: Implications for biodiversity conservation and global health. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 137(S47), 53-69. doi:10.1002/ajpa.20949
Rahman, D. A. (2010). Habitat characteristics and preferences of orangutan nest trees (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) in Tanjung Puting National Park (Camp Leakey case study). Jurnal Primatologi Indonesia, 7(2), 37–50.
Sherman, J., Voigt, M., Ancrenaz, M., Wich, S. A., Qomariah, I. N., Lyman, E., …, & Meijaard, E. (2022). Orangutan killing and trade in Indonesia: Wildlife crime, enforcement, and deterrence patterns. Biological Conservation, 276, 109744. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2022.109744
Singleton, I., Wich, S., Husson, S., Utami Atmoko, S., Leighton, M., Rosen, N., Traylor-Holzer, K., Lacy, R., & Byers, O. (2004). Orang-utan population and habitat viability assessment: Final report. IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group, Apple Valley, MN.
World Wide Fund for Nature. (2005). WWF’s species action plan for the conservation of orang-utans (Pongo pygmaeus and Pongo abelii) in the wild. https://wwfint.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/orangutan_sap_wwf.pdf
Yeager, C. P. (1997). Orangutan Rehabilitation in Tanjung Puting National Park, Indonesia. Conservation Biology, 11(3), 802-805. doi:10.1046/j.1523-1739.1997.95500.x
Page created by: Aime Mizero Date: 2025-05-29