{
  "abstract": "In late November 2025, over 1,000 mm of precipitation fell within four days across North Sumatra, triggering widespread landslides and flooding in the West Block of the Batang Toru ecosystem, the core habitat of the critically endangered Tapanuli orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis), estimated to contain 581 individuals (95%CI [180–1,201]) prior to the event [1]. Using pre- and post-event Sentinel-2 and PlanetScope satellite imagery, we quantified the extent of forest loss. Initial analysis indicates that 3,964 hectares of previously intact forest were swept away by landslides and floods. An additional 2,487 ha of scars is extrapolated from areas that are cloud-covered in the Sentinel-2 image. These scar estimates were combined with a 1km² density surface from a 2016 survey to estimate the number of orangutans potentially affected. Our results indicate that 33-54 individuals may have been impacted, with a substantial proportion likely killed by landslides, treefall, or flooding. Given that annual mortality exceeding 1% is sufficient to drive this species to extinction, our preliminary estimate of 6.2-10.5% mortality suggests a critical demographic shock. We call upon the Indonesian government and the international community to take immediate action and provide support to ensure the survival of the Tapanuli orangutan. The government is urged to enact emergency protections, halt habitat-damaging development, and expand protected areas to restore critical lowland forest, with essential financial and technical support from the global community.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "School of Biological and Environmental Science, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L697ZB, UK; Durrell Institute of Ecology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury CT27NR, UK; Borneo Futures, Bandar Seri Begawan BS8811, Brunei Darussalam. Electronic address: emeijaard@borneofutures.org",
    "School of Biological and Environmental Science, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L697ZB, UK",
    "Borneo Futures, Bandar Seri Begawan BS8811, Brunei Darussalam",
    "Orangutan Information Centre, Selayang, Kota Medan, Sumatera Utara 20131, Medan, Indonesia",
    "Forest Ecology and Forest Management, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen 6708 PB, the Netherlands",
    "Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium",
    "TreeMap, Montpellier 34000, France; Jeffrey Sachs Center on Sustainable Development, Sunway University, 5, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, Selangor 47500, Malaysia",
    "Senckenberg Museum für Naturkunde, 02826 Görlitz, Germany; International Institute Zittau, Dresden University of Technology, 02763 Zittau, Germany",
    "Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London SW71NE, UK",
    "Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Indonesia, Depok 16224, Indonesia",
    "Meteorology and Climatology, BRIN, Jakarta 16911, Indonesia",
    "Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham NG14FQ, UK",
    "School of Biological and Environmental Science, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L697ZB, UK. Electronic address: s.a.wich@ljmu.ac.uk"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 15,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Erik Meijaard",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-8685-3685"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Muiz Wafiy"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Safwanah Ni’matullah",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-5234-0646"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Rona Dennis"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Panut Hadisiswoyo"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Douglas Sheil",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-1166-6591"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Adrià Descals",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-1644-3036"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        6
      ],
      "name": "David Gaveau",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-2671-2113"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Nabillah Unus"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        7
      ],
      "name": "Hjalmar Kühl"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        8
      ],
      "name": "Friederike E. L. Otto",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-8166-5917"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        9
      ],
      "name": "Jatna Supriatna",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-9850-8395"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        10
      ],
      "name": "Edvin Aldrian",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-1851-9148"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        11
      ],
      "name": "David Petley",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-3061-6282"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        12
      ],
      "name": "Serge A. Wich",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-3954-5174"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3vsvba2bxqsnm.bib",
  "cited_by": 6,
  "doi": "10.1016/j.cub.2026.05.029",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "3vsvba2bxqsnm",
  "issns": [
    "0960-9822",
    "1879-0445"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2026.05.029",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "1105|Primate Behavior and Ecology"
    ]
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  "openalex": "W7164121738",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": "42269613",
  "published": "2026-06-01",
  "publisher": "Elsevier BV",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3vsvba2bxqsnm.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-06T13:20:32Z",
      "native_id": "W7164121738",
      "source": "openalex",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2026.05.029"
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  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "openalex:1105|Primate Behavior and Ecology",
      "subfield": "ecology"
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  ],
  "title": "Extreme rainfall further endangers the world’s rarest great ape",
  "title_text": "Extreme rainfall further endangers the world’s rarest great ape",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-10T13:21:07Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3vsvba2bxqsnm",
  "venue": "Current Biology",
  "versions": []
}