Betung Kerihun National Park
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Summary
- Northwest Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus pygmaeus) are present in Betung Kerihun National Park.
- The orangutan population size is unknown.
- The orangutan population trend is unknown.
- The total site area is 8000 km².
- The main reported threats are illegal logging, poaching and wildlife trade.
- The main conservation activities have focused on restoring habitats, creating natural habitat corridor and raising awareness in the community.
- The site has held protected area status since 1995.
Site characteristics
Betung Kerihun National Park', locally called Taman Nasional Betung Kerihun. is a vast protected region in central Indonesian Borneo. Spanning about 9,000 square kilometers, it sits in West Kalimantan’s Kapuas Hulu Regency, close to the Malaysian border. As part of the Heart of Borneo initiative and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Tentative site, the park plays a vital role in a three-country effort to safeguard the world’s third-largest rainforest. Its rugged landscape is shaped by the Muller Mountain Range, with notable peaks like Mount Betung and Mount Kerihun, from which the park gets its name (National Parks Association 2025).
Table 1. Basic site information for Betung Kerihun National Park
| Species | Pongo pygmaeus pygmaeus |
| Area | 8000 km² |
| Coordinates | Lat: 0.1833 , Lon: 113.2500 |
| Type of site | Protected area (National Park) |
| Habitat types | Subtropical/tropical moist lowland forest |
| Type of governance | Governance by government |
Types of sites Governance types Habitat types
Ape status
Table 2. Ape population estimates reported for Betung Kerihun 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 pygmaeus |
Sampling methods Analytical frameworks
Threats
Table 3. Threats to apes reported for Betung Kerihun National Park
| Category | Specific threats | Threat level | Description | Year of threat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Biological resource use | 5.1 Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Present (unknown severity) | Poaching and wildlife trade activities have been reported, the details remain unknown (WWF 2005). | Ongoing (2005) |
| 5 Biological resource use | 5.3 Logging & wood harvesting | Present (unknown severity) | Illegal timber extraction has been reported (WWF 2005). | Ongoing (2005) |
Conservation activities
Table 4. Conservation activities reported for Betung Kerihun National Park
| Category | Specific activity | Description | Implementing organization(s) | Year of activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Protection & restoration | 5.2 Legally protect ape habitat | Betung Kerihun National Park has held protected area status since 1995 (Sherman et al. 2022). | 1995-Ongoing (2026) | |
| 5 Protection & restoration | 5.4 Create natural habitat patches (including corridors) | The focus is on securing a forest corridors that will connect Betung Kerihun and Danau Sentarum (WWF 2005). | World Wide Fund for Nature-WWF | Ongoing (2005) |
| 4 Education & awareness | Other | Community outreach and capacity building (Sherman et al. 2022). | Ongoing (2022) | |
| 5 Protection & restoration | Other | Habitat management activities were reported to be present (Sherman et al. 2022). | Ongoing (2022) |
Challenges
Enablers
Research activities
Documented behaviours
Exposure to climate change impacts
External links
References
National Parks Association. (n.d.). Betung Kerihun National Park. https://nationalparksassociation.org/indonesia-national-parks/betung-kerihun-national-park/
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
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
Page created by: Aime Mizero Date: 2025-06-02