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Orangutans are one of our closest relatives, sharing 97% of our DNA. But as human populations increase, orangutan numbers are in decline. Orangutans once ranged throughout Indochina and south to Java. But today fragmented populations of two subspecies are restricted to the islands of Borneo and Sumatra.

Another Tit-Bit

Probably no more than 50,000 Borneo orangutans and 6,650 Sumatra orangutans remain in the wild, half the number that existed 20 years ago. The way things are going, in another 50 years wild orangutans could be all but extinct.

Why is the Orangutan in Danger?

Orangutans are an endangered species according to most wildlife monitoring organizations and conservation groups. Ten thousand years ago, orangutans were found throughout Southeast Asia ranging all the way into southern China. Their populations probably numbered in the hundreds of thousands.

Unfortunately, the species today is found only in limited populations on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. Due to the destructive activities of humans, the wild population may have diminished in the past decade by as much as 50%. Estimates of the current population are from less than 50,000 to 60,000 with more than three quarters of all orangutans found on Borneo.

Source: http://www.orangutan.org/danger.php
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