Adopt an Orangutan: A Call to Protect Our Closest Wild Relatives

They’re intelligent, gentle, and strikingly similar to us, sharing 97% of our DNA. Yet orangutans, whose name translates to “person of the forest,” are fighting for their very survival. Today, only around 57,000 Bornean orangutans remain in the wild. The threats are enormous: vast swathes of their rainforest home are cleared for palm oil plantations, forests are burned for agriculture, and the illegal wildlife trade continues to rip young orangutans away from their mothers.

Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS) Australia is asking Aussies to step up and take action before it’s too late. The simplest and most impactful way is to adopt an orangutan. Adoption starts from as little as $20 a month, and directly funds the work of the BOS Foundation in Borneo, which rescues orphaned orangutans, rehabilitates them, and prepares them for release back into protected forest. It’s a lifeline for animals that otherwise wouldn’t stand a chance.

But adoption is just the beginning. There are practical things every one of us can do in daily life to protect orangutans and the forests they call home:

• Change how you shop: Palm oil is in almost half the packaged products in supermarkets, from biscuits to shampoo. Look for the RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) certification to support sustainable growers. When buying timber or paper products, choose FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) labels. Even choosing local, seasonal goods cuts down on destructive supply chains.

• Speak out: As consumers, we’re more powerful than we realise. If your favourite snack brand isn’t sourcing sustainably, tell them. If your local MP votes against stronger environmental protections, write to them. Change happens when people demand it.

• Stay informed: BOS Australia offers regular updates on conservation efforts, success stories, and urgent calls to action. Sign up and share what you learn. You’ll be surprised how many people are unaware of just how close orangutans are to extinction.

• Volunteer in Borneo: For those ready to roll up their sleeves, BOS runs volunteer programs at its Samboja Lestari sanctuary. From building enrichment items for orangutans and sun bears to supporting the daily work of keepers, volunteers make a hands-on difference.

Orangutans are our wild cousins. They think, reason, and form deep bonds—just like us. Their survival depends on the choices we make today.

Adopt an orangutan and join the fight to keep them in the wild at orangutans.com.au.