JAKARTA: Deadly floods and landslides in Indonesia's Sumatra last year killed at least 58 critically endangered Tapanuli orangutans, according to a report released on Wednesday.
The deaths account for at least seven per cent of the species' estimated global population of 800 and were recorded in the western block of North Sumatra's Batang Toru forest, where most of the remaining orangutans live.
The joint study by Brunei-based Borneo Futures, World Weather Attribution and Liverpool John Moores University said the actual toll could be higher as other parts of the forest were not surveyed.
Researchers based their findings on satellite imagery of damage in the West Block of Batang Toru and historical records of the orangutan population in the area.
The study said human-induced climate change has likely increased the intensity and frequency of extreme rainfall around the Malacca Strait, placing the species' habitat at greater risk.
Lead author Erik Meijaard of Borneo Futures said heavy rain saturated the soil and caused large sections of forested hillsides to collapse in fast-moving landslides, reducing the animals' chances of survival.
The floods and landslides killed at least 1,200 people and damaged about 300,000 homes, while environmental groups blamed rapid deforestation in Sumatra for worsening the scale of the disaster.
