The Bornean orangutan (pongo pygmaeus) lives mainly in Indonesian Borneo and to lesser extent the Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah. They are more abundant in low lying forests as these flood prone and peat swamp areas provide the largest selection of fruit. There  are estimated to be approx 54,000 individuals currently in the wild. Their habitat is becoming increasingly fragmented and where the forests once stood, roads are now in place.

These roads bring in the illegal loggers and poachers and this is pushing the orangutan out of the safety of their home, and in to the plantations where they are unable to forage for their food. They are being forced in to smaller and smaller areas of forest and there is an urgent need to protect the remaining forests, to ensure the survival of our fellow primates.

Unfortunately the majority of the remaining wild populations are located outside of protected areas. They are in forests that are already being used for timber extraction and agricultural use and habitat loss is the main threat to the survival of this species.
Large rivers are natural barriers and a lot of orangutan rehab centres are now purchasing or renting islands to release orangutan on to, as their natural home gets further and further fragmented.

 

There are three pongo pygmaeus subspecies, they are:

P. p. pygmaeus: Northwest Bornean Orangutan:
– Sarawak (Malaysia)
– Northwest Kalimantan (Indonesia)

P. p. wurmbii: Central Bornean Orangutan:
– Southern west Kalimantan
– Central Kalimantan (Indonesia)

P. p. morio: Northeast Bornean Orangutan:
– East Kalimantan (Indonesia)
– Sabah (Malaysia)

 

Capture

Source: http://www.iucnredlist.org/