In rather disheartening news, it has been reported that around 7% of the critically endangered orangutan species living on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, a species known as the Tapanuli orangutans, has unfortunately been killed in the extreme weather the area experienced in late 2025.
According to BBC News, it's thought there are less than 800 of these orangutans left in the wild with the recent weather claiming the lives of 58 of these creatures. A report has mentioned that the weather didn't just hit the region with dangerous inclement conditions, but it also reduced food availability and damaged rainforest canopies, where the apes reside.
It's thought that many of the creatures were swept away in landslides and floods, and that the biggest impact was noticed when Cyclone Senyar made landfall, a strong storm that is being regarded as an anomalous event.
Due to the low population of the species, it's thought the Tapanuli orangutans will go extinct if it continues to lose more than 1% of its population each year, with this latest death toll being seven-times these estimates. The truly devastating part of this news is that the species was only discovered back in 2017.