Orangutans in Borneo need your help

Save habitat for orangutans in Borneo – a new Appeal from the World Land Trust

For the Bornean orangutans need our help!

The World Land Trust – who are based in the UK and who work tirelessly to save tropical rainforest acre by acre – are urgently appealing for help.  They need to raise £287,821 to secure 16 ha – which is 40.1 acres – of vital Bornean forest. And the great news is that the first £50,000 of donations will be matched, propelling the appeal to the finishing line with greater speed!

The 40 acres really matter.   They are an opportunity to strengthen connectivity across the landscape.   The danger is that the 40 acres are at risk – if they are sold and lost, it will sever a corridor that’s essential for species such as the Northeast Bornean Orangutan and Borneo Elephant. 

The Sungai Sukau Wildlife Corridor is extremely rich in wildlife, with over 300 bird species, over 600 species overall.   It’s home to about 200-300 Bornean Elephants.   And the area  is an important forest within Borneo’s Kinabatangan floodplain.  Back in September 2025, the Kinabatangan region was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve – but some of the land is under mixed ownership – so vital areas need to be secured and protected. 

The appeal – if successful – and I’ve never known a World Land Trust appeal to fail yet – can relieve a bottleneck for wildlife movement which will reduce conflict between people and wildlife, especially helping Bornean elephants. It will also help the Bornean Orangutan and Borneo Elephant, and it will also help people because it will stabilise the riverbanks and protect riparian habitat along the river – and that will support sustainable fisheries and local livelihoods.

The Trust's conservation partner, Hutan, is based in Sukau, and employs over 100 local staff.  They lead research, reforestation, they monitor wildlife and do ranger patrols and conservation outreach.  And they will play a central role in both restoring and managing the land acquired through this appeal.  But they also work with Oil Palm plantation owners, local communities and government parties – this is to develop solutions which will allow wildlife to move safely through the landscape.

Now, the World Land Trust have already supported the creation of strategic wildlife corridors and these have linked over 101,313 acres of protected forest.  Wildlife corridors can really make a difference – and the Sungai Sukau Wildlife Corridor will close a vital gap  and strengthen the connectivity across the region.  So it's a really important area to secure. The animals are depending on us all!

Please donate if you can! The World Land Trust's video from their You Tube Channel below tells you more about the appeal...

Thanks to Simone Milward for the amazing photo at the top of this blog (from Unsplash).