A cyclone in Indonesia last year wiped out 7pc of critically endangered Tapanuli orangutans Credit: AFP via Getty
Four days of extreme rain and flooding killed 7 per cent of all Tapanuli orangutans, a study has found.
At least 58 of the critically endangered great apes died during Cyclone Senyar, which hit Indonesia’s western island of Sumatra for four days last November.
Some of the Tapanulis, a distinct species from other orangutans, were found buried amid debris, mud and logs, as their habitat collapsed and was swept away.
At least 1,200 people were killed and 300,000 homes were destroyed by Senyar’s rain, flooding and landslides in the deadliest natural disaster in south-east Asia in 2025.
But the full effect on local wildlife has only just been revealed.
