Adopt an Orangutan
Orangutans are critically endangered. Their numbers have declined by 50% in the last 60 years.
There are three species of orangutan – the Sumatran, Tapanuli and Bornean. Orangutans used to roam as far north as southern China, and as far south as the Indonesian island of Java. Today they’re only found on two islands – Sumatra and Borneo.
Your adoptions will help protect orangutan habitats and help fund our other vital work around the world. When you choose an animal adoption, you are supporting both your chosen animals as well as wider work to help bring our world back to life.
Adopt an orangutan and receive
Orangutans spend a lot of time alone but have loose relationships with other orangutans in their community. They spend most of their lives in trees, where their long, strong arms help them swing through the forest canopy and hang from branches as they eat their favourite food – fruit.
Threats that orangutans face
Habitat loss
Conversion of forests to palm oil plantations is the biggest cause of habitat loss for orangutans. Road development, illegal logging and mining also impact it.
Palm oil
Peat swamp forests that are home to high densities of orangutans are often targeted for oil palm plantations. Palm oil is found in around 50% of products in your supermarket.
Human orangutan conflict
On average 2,200 Bornean orangutans are thought to be killed each year due to hunting, conflict in agricultural areas and the illegal pet trade.
Illegal pet trade
Young orangutans up to the age of seven are sought after for the illegal pet trade.
How we can help
We’re working to identify and restore wildlife corridors between protected areas. This will reconnect previously fragmented orangutan habitat so there will be large blocks of interconnected forests.
We're also promoting the production and use of sustainable palm oil. We helped set up the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) which is working to transform markets and make sustainable palm oil the norm.
Your adoption and support will help us:
- create and extend protected areas of rainforest
- promote the buying and use of sustainable palm oil to manufacturers and consumers
- promote sustainable use of natural resources
- support local communities in managing protected areas
- fund our other essential work around the world
Last minute gift?
Free delivery
We offer free delivery but ask you to consider helping to cover postage with an optional £3 donation taken at checkout. This means more of your gift can go towards supporting your adoption animal and our wider work.
Your pack will be sent within 2-3 working days - but allow up to 5 working days for it to arrive.
Want to protect other apes too? Check out our adopt an ape page to find out more.
Orangutan adoption FAQs
Yes, you can adopt an orangutan with WWF. Donations from orangutan adoptions go both directly to support orangutans, as well as to fund our wider work to protect nature and our planet. Adoptions are symbolic for donating and supporting our conservation work with different species. By adopting an orangutan, you will be supporting a whole group of orangutans, rather than one individual.
You can adopt an organutan with WWF from just £3 a month via Direct Debit or a £36 one-off payment. To adopt an organutan with WWF, select your donation amount on the widget, click 'Adopt Now' and then complete your donation via our secure online checkout.
You can adopt an organutan with WWF from just £3 a month via Direct Debit or a £36 one-off payment. Your money goes further by Direct Debit as this supports our long-term planning and helps keep our administration costs down.
When you adopt an orangutan with WWF, your donation will not only fund programs of work that directly support orangutans, but also other vital projects to help bring our world back to life. After adopting an orangutan you'll receive a welcome pack including an optional toy and note from the WWF team welcoming you on board. We'll keep you updated on how you're supporting our vital work by sending you three adoption updates a year.
Orangutan adoptions help us; promote the sustainable production and use of palm oil to protect orangutan habitats; identify and restore wildlife corridors to reconnect fragmented orangutan habitat; support local management of protected areas.
Orangutans are critically endangered. Only around 104,000 remain and a century ago they used to roam all across southeast Asia from southern China to Java - but now they are only found on 2 Indonesian islands: Sumatra and Borneo.
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