North Sumatra is home to 1 of only 8 known great ape species in the world, the newly described Tapanuli orangutan, first classified in 2017 after its habits and DNA proved them to be unique. As with many animals in Sumatra, they are amazing creatures that are critically threatened, with a maximum of 800 individuals estimated to be living in an increasingly fragmented habitat.

Now a hydroelectric dam proposed for the center of the animals’ tiny territory further challenges this special species’ chances of survival, as well as that of 23 other threatened species which also live in the area.

To understand what’s interesting about this animal and how the proposed Batang Toru dam would impact it, we speak with a biologist who helped discover its uniqueness, Dr. Puji Rianti of IPB University in Bogor, and Mongabay staff writer Hans Nicholas Jong in Jakarta, who has been covering the controversy over the project, as it’s been called into question by activists and funders alike and faces numerous delays.

The saga is definitely not over, and this episode explains why. See related coverage here:

• Dam that threatens orangutan habitat faces three-year delay
• Fighting to save an endangered ape, Indonesian activists fear for their lives
• Allegation of forged signature casts shadow over China-backed dam in Sumatra
• Eight species, including Tapanuli orangutan, make first appearance on list of most endangered primates

Mongabay Explores is a special podcast series that dives into the unique beauty, natural heritage, and key issues facing this one of a kind landscape by speaking with people working to study, understand, and protect it. Episode 1 features a Goldman Prize winner from Sumatra about what makes his home so special, listen here, and further programs have focused on the people working to save the Sumatran rhino, and the reasons why deforestation is so widespread in the province.

One can subscribe to Mongabay Explores on the Google Podcasts app, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or Audible, or the podcast provider of your choice. You can also listen to all of our episodes via the podcast homepage, here.

We also offer a free app in the Apple App Store and in the Google Store for this show, download it for instant access to our latest episodes at your fingertips.

If you enjoy this podcast, please tell a friend, and consider visiting www.patreon.com/mongabay to pledge a dollar or more to keep the show growing, Mongabay is a nonproft media outlet and all support helps. Supporting the show at the $10/month level now delivers access to Insider Content, please visit Patreon via the link above for details.

Banner image: A female Tapanuli orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis). Image by Tim Laman under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.