27, April 2026
Breakthrough for Orangutans with our charity partner, Sumatran Orangutan Society
Written by our Sustainability Director, Laura Ford
This weekend saw a flurry of activity for our charity partner Sumatran Orangutan Society (SOS) who have had a breakthrough with the critically endangered Orangutan they work so hard to protect. A canopy bridge installed in 2024 has had its first use by a young male Orangutan and signals the potential saving of a species otherwise heading for probable extinction. Selected for the Big Give this year, any donations made by the end of the day on the 29th April to Sumatran Orangutan Society will be doubled: https://donate.biggive.org/donate/a05WS00000BJxsTYAT
The 350 Orangutan living in the Pakpak Bharat district of North Sumatra in Indonesia were split into two groups when the Lagan-Pagindara road was built between the Siranggas Nature Reserve and the Sikulaping protection forest. Because of the way Orangutan genetics work, in-breeding within each, now isolated, community would have led to functional extinction – which means complete extinction is very likely without significant intervention. Although the new road was necessary for local human communities, without another way for Orangutan to cross the road, the likelihood of eventual extinction for this community was high.
Orangutan is a keystone species which means that their role is essential to preserving biodiversity and keeping ecosystems stable; without them, the system could be dramatically altered or even collapse. With only 14,000 Orangutan left in Sumatra, and as an arboreal species spending a vast majority of their time in the forest canopy, it was crucial that this community of 350 Orangutan be enabled to mingle and procreate.
The installation of the rope bridge – a partnership between SOS, the local government and their delivery partner Tangguh Hutan Khatulistiwa (TaHuKah) – has provided a way for these two groups of Orangutan to continue to connect, and other species have been using it as well. Whilst the team waited anxiously for the Orangutan to cross the bridge, it has been used by giant black squirrels, long-tailed macaques and gibbons as well. And now that the Orangutan have started to use it too, we are hopeful that these communities will be able to integrate once more.
SOS was established in 2001 by Lucy Wisdom, driven by a commitment to protect wild orangutans and the forests they depend on. More than two decades later, SOS remains at the forefront of Orangutan conservation — developing innovative approaches and partnering with leading organisations to strengthen the long-term resilience of orangutans, forests, and people alike.
As a brand rooted in nature, Faith In Nature depends on healthy ecosystems for the ingredients we use. Supporting conservation helps us protect the rainforests where these ingredients come from, preserving biodiversity and safeguarding them for the future.
Faith In Nature is a Pioneer Sponsor of the Sumatran Orangutan Society’s Rewild Fund.
