Building relationships: how zoos and other partners can contribute to the conservation of wild orangutans Pongo spp

With three species of orangutan now listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, orangutan conservation needs some critical rethinking. Habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation, and hunting are continuing to push orangutan populations towards further decline. Conservation efforts focusing on rehabilitation and habitat protection are in place but are insufficient unless we move towards a landscape approach that will aim at protecting and connecting areas rather than retaining isolated patches of forest. Conservationists need to engage with communities and industry to protect the species at a truly landscape level. This paper explores the current efforts in orangutan conservation on the ground and from the zoo community, and describes new areas emerging to contribute to these new approaches needed to impact positively wild orangutan populations.