Scientists say Chinese-backed dam risks orangutan habitat

Scientists announced the discovery of the third orangutan species, Pongo tapanuliensis, in November. They said without special protection it’s in danger of rapid extinction.

This undated photo released by the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme shows a Tapanuli orangutan with its baby in Batang Toru Ecosystem in Tapanuli, North Sumatra, Indonesia. Scientists are claiming an isolated and tiny population of orangutans on the Indonesian island of Sumatra with frizzier hair and smaller heads are a new species of great ape.

Scientists are calling for cancellation of a Chinese-backed hydroelectric dam in Indonesia that threatens the habitat of a newly discovered orangutan species numbering only 800 animals.

In the journal Current Biology, the experts say the 510-megawatt dam in Sumatra will flood or otherwise alter part of the habitat and likely make it impossible to take a crucial step toward ensuring the species survives reconnecting fragmented forests the primates are spread across.

China’s state-owned Sinohydro is building the dam, which is reportedly financed by Chinese loans. Critics of the project say it’s part of China’s “Belt & Road” plans to link infrastructure across Asia.

Scientists announced the discovery of the third orangutan species, Pongo tapanuliensis, in November. They said without special protection it’s in danger of rapid extinction.