Replanting Rainforest in Sumatra, Indonesia

Orangutans, with their soulful eyes and gentle nature, are beloved symbols of the rainforest. But did you know, orangutans play a vital role in keeping these precious ecosystems healthy and thriving.

As we celebrate International Orangutan Day, it’s important to understand just how crucial these incredible beings are to the world’s rainforests

Orangutans are the “Gardeners of the Forest”

Orangutans are known as the “gardeners of the forest.” They spend most of their lives in the trees, swinging from branch to branch, and their diet consists mainly of fruit. As they move through the forest, they eat a variety of fruits and later disperse the seeds far and wide through their droppings. This natural process helps to maintain the diversity of the forest, as seeds are spread across large areas, giving rise to new plants and trees.

Orangutans are “Ecosystem Engineers”

Orangutans shape the rainforest in ways that benefit thousands of other species. A diverse forest is more resilient to changes and threats, such as disease, climate change, and natural disasters. With many plant species growing together, the loss of one does not lead to the collapse of the entire ecosystem. In this way, orangutans help maintain the delicate balance of life in the rainforest, supporting a web of interconnected species that rely on one another for survival.

Orangutans are a “Keystone Species”

The presence of orangutans is a sign of a healthy, functioning rainforest. They are a keystone species, meaning their presence has a disproportionate impact on the environment compared to other species. Healthy rainforests are crucial for the planet. They act as the Earth’s lungs, absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen. They also regulate the global climate, support the water cycle, and provide a home to countless species, many of which are found nowhere else on Earth. The health of these rainforests, and by extension our planet, is closely linked to the survival of orangutans.

This International Orangutan Day, we thank you for your donations which help ensure that wild orangutans remain a part of our world for generations to come. Together, we can make a difference. 

Rewilding is a practice that gives hope to many people throughout the world, and it can be hugely inspiring to see what happens when that hope turns into action! And when it comes to rewilding in Sumatra, a picture can be worth a thousand words

Rewilding is the process of natural regeneration, enabling nature to reclaim landscapes and bring biodiversity back to the environment. Rewilding helps landscapes return to life and become places where wild species can thrive and play their own part in the process of natural regeneration.

SOS and our frontline partners in Indonesia have been turning hope into action for decades, and the results are already obvious. The wonder of the tropics is that the speed of natural recovery can be quite surprising!

Sometimes nature may need a helping hand. Our partners may need to clear human interventions like plantations, and plant a careful mix of local species to help nature bed back in. But as you can see from these photos, nature quickly finds her way!

It’s the hope for a thriving future for wild orangutans that drives us and our partners to take action, and seeing the results of that action helps us to find more hope! We hope you enjoy seeing these astounding images too – thank you to every single one of our donors – this is the difference your support is making on the ground, now and into the future.