There Are Only 3 Orangutan Species Left on Earth

Orangutans are some of the most recognizable animals in Southeast Asia, known for their shaggy reddish hair, sharp intelligence, and lives spent almost entirely in the rainforest canopy. What many people don't realize is that "orangutan" isn't a single species. There are three, and every one of them is critically endangered.

World Orangutan Day, observed annually on August 19, exists specifically to draw attention to these three species and the rapidly shrinking forests they depend on to survive.

Why There Are Three Species, Not One

For decades, scientists believed orangutans came in just two varieties, Bornean and Sumatran, treated as subspecies of the same animal. That changed in November 2017, when genetic and physical studies identified a third, entirely distinct species: the Tapanuli orangutan. It was the first new great ape species described by science in nearly a century.

Here's a closer look at all three.