3010
2 months ago
Indonesia takes action against mining firms after floods devastate population of world’s rarest ape
Summary
<p>Conservationists hail the ‘desperately needed’ measures and urge greater protection after up to 11% of endangered Tapanuli orangutans wiped out</p><p>The floods and landslides that tore through Indonesia’s fragile Batang Toru ecosystem in November 2024 – killing up to 11% of the world’s Tapanuli orangutan population – prompted widespread scrutiny of the extractive companies operating in the area at the time of the ecological catastrophe.</p><p>For weeks, investigators searched for evidence that the companies may have damaged the Batang Toru and Garoga watersheds before the disaster, which washed torrents of mud and logs into villages, <a href="https://www.earthsight.org.uk/news/sumatra-floods">claiming the lives of more than 1,100 people</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/23/tapanuli-orangutans-floods-indonesia-government-mining-extraction-companies-aoe">Continue reading...</a>