An orangutan has been filmed using a rope bridge to cross a road in the Pakpak Bharat district of North Sumatra, Indonesia, much to the delight of conservationists.
The young male Sumatran orangutan used the bridge to venture into a new area of rainforest, giving conservationists hope about the survival of orangutans in the area.
“These canopy bridges demonstrate that human development and wildlife don’t have to be at odds,” said Helen Buckland, chief executive of the Sumatran Orangutan Society (SOS). “Sometimes, the simplest solutions are the most effective.”
In 2024, SOS – together with its local partner, the Tangguh Hutan Khatulistiwa Foundation (TaHuKah) – began building canopy bridges after the widening of the Lagan-Pagindar road.
This road connected people in rural communities with essential services, such as hospitals and schools.
But, when it was widened in 2023, the road created a gap in the treetops that orangutans and other animals, could no longer cross.
For the 350 orangutans in the area, it meant the population was fractured into two groups, one at the Siranggas wildlife reserve, and the other at the Sikulaping protection forest.
Trapped in these forest islands, the orangutan groups could no longer mix with each other, putting the already endangered species at risk of further decline due to interbreeding.
But now, this footage has shown that canopy bridges could be an effective solution for orangutan groups split apart by roads.
Other primates had previously been seen using the crossings, including gibbons, langurs and macaques, but no orangutans – until now.
“For two years, we have watched and waited for this moment,” said Buckland. “Seeing this young male orangutan confidently cross the road using the canopy bridge is a huge milestone for conservation – proving that it is possible to stitch this fragmented landscape back together.”
This bridge was one of five crossings installed in the treetops high above the Lagan-Pagindar road, using 200m (220 yards) of rope.
But 750 orangutans in West Toba remain trapped by roads in small areas of forest.
Erwin Alamsyah Siregar, executive director of TaHuKah, said he hoped the canopy bridge project would be repeated elsewhere.
“Together, we’ve shown that infrastructure and biodiversity aren’t mutually exclusive,” he said. “There are ways to make progress while safeguarding our natural environment.”
The Sumatran orangutan is critically endangered, with only 14,000 left in the wild. It’s one of three orangutan species, all of which live in Southeast Asia.
“This area in North Sumatra is a global conservation priority,” said Buckland. “The loss of wild orangutans could have cascading effects for the entire ecosystem, including the natural resources that local communities rely on.”
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