By James Swyer | Head of Individual Giving
Deep in the forests of Sumatra, something remarkable happened on a recent community patrol: rangers recorded the sighting of a female orangutan with twins.
Twin births are exceptionally rare in orangutans and raising two infants simultaneously is an extraordinary feat. Seeing them thriving in the wild is one of the clearest possible signs that the habitat your support is helping to protect is healthy and safe.
The same patrol recorded sightings of three other elusive and threatened species: the Sunda golden cat, the sun bear, and the critically endangered helmeted hornbill, a species targeted by poachers for its distinctive casque. None of these sightings happen by chance. They are the direct result of local community members taking an active role as guardians of their ancestral forests, providing the consistent, on-the-ground presence that detects and deters illegal logging and encroachment before lasting damage is done.
The data is beginning to reflect this. Recent figures from Global Forest Watch show that primary forest loss in Indonesia fell from 290,000 hectares in 2023 to 260,000 hectares in 2024 - a meaningful reduction, and evidence that community-led conservation works.
Your contributions provide essential safety gear, such as rugged waterproof kit designed to handle hot and humid conditions, spatial monitoring and reporting tools to log sightings of wildlife and illegal activity, and camera traps installed in the forest to monitor wildlife and threats. This kit is vital to delivering the conservation outcomes we all strive for.
By supporting local people to lead forest patrols, we are building a resilient and lasting future for wild orangutans - and for the communities whose wellbeing is intertwined with the health of these rainforests.
None of this work would be possible without you, our dedicated and compassionate supporters. Together, we can make a difference for wild orangutans and the rainforests they call home.
Thank you for being part of this journey with us.
Photo: copyright Suzi Eszterhas.
By Selene Parr | Development Assistant
By Rhia Docherty | Individual Giving Manager
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