First-Ever Footage Captures Sumatran Orangutan Using Canopy Bridge in Indonesia

After two years of observation, a Sumatran orangutan has been caught on camera using a canopy bridge in North Sumatra, Indonesia, representing the first documented instance of this species utilizing such a structure. Constructed with government backing by the Sumatran Orangutan Society and Tangguh Hutan Khatulistiwa (TaHuKah), the bridge aims to link a group of approximately 350 orangutans separated by a roadway. These orangutans reside in the Siranggas Wildlife Reserve and the Sikulaping Protection Forest. Prior to this, camera traps had recorded various other species, including plantain squirrels and black giant squirrels. The footage, taken in the Pakpak Bharat district, features a young male orangutan cautiously navigating the rope bridge. Helen Buckland, CEO of the Sumatran Orangutan Society, expressed the team's joy upon witnessing the footage, highlighting the importance of reconnecting the population to avoid genetic bottlenecks and functional extinction.