Indonesia’s disappearing rainforests are the final stand for the Critically Endangered Bornean Orangutan and other struggling species. Asia’s only great ape faces a grim 82% decline in its global population by 2025 as expanding agriculture wipes out prime habitat and illegal hunting further decimates its remaining populations.

The ancient rainforest region comprising the Labian-Leboyan Corridor harbors lush ecosystems, winding rivers and essential habitat for the at-risk Orangutan populations remaining there. But with escalating deforestation threats, we must move swiftly to save the intact forests and protect exceptional biodiversity within this landscape before it is lost forever.

Your donation will help Rainforest Trust and our local partner Yayasan Sangga Bumi Lestari support the designation of 179,000 acres of Customary Forests. This designation by the Indonesian government formally recognizes ownership and rights of Indigenous Peoples to manage and shield ancestral lands against commercial-scale logging, mining, illegal hunting and other threats endangering vulnerable wildlife like the Bornean Orangutan.

Safeguard Old-Growth Forests And Rare Bornean Species

Protecting the Bornean Orangutan’s vital habitat in the Labian-Laboyan corridor has been an ongoing priority for years. Surveys from 2023 show steep population declines—with just 202 individuals in the adjacent Danau Sentarum National Park to the south and a further 71 within the southern corridor. This project is essential to connecting habitat as populations plunge. The corridor shelters other rapidly vanishing species like the Bornean Banded Langur, once common across Borneo but whose numbers are now critically low at 200-500 individuals. Bearded Pigs and Helmeted Hornbills, likewise, struggle to survive after extensive habitat loss and overhunting.

Support Indigenous Guardianship Of Rainforests

The daily lives of local Indigenous Peoples are guided by their customary practices and spiritual beliefs, which prevent them from hunting orangutans. It is well documented that Indigenous People’s cultural traditions and sustainable livelihoods protect the forests and waters of their territories, benefiting the abundant biodiversity within. This project ensures that their rights to own and manage their customary forests in the Labian-Leboyan corridor will benefit people, species and the planet for generations to come.

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