First Video Shows Sumatran Orangutan Using Wildlife Bridge

A Sumatran orangutan has been filmed crossing a human-made canopy bridge for the first time, providing evidence that the critically endangered species will use such structures. The video, posted by the Sumatran Orangutan Society (SOS), shows a young male crossing a rope bridge over the Lagan-Pagindar road in North Sumatra's Pakpak Bharat district. The road separates the Siranggas Wildlife Reserve from the Sikulaping Protection Forest, fragmenting the habitat of about 350 wild orangutans. Road upgrades in 2024 enlarged the forest canopy opening, making crossing impossible for arboreal wildlife. Conservation groups TaHuKah, SOS, and government agencies built five rope bridges with camera traps after surveying orangutan nests and animal movement. Primates like gibbons, langurs, and macaques had been spotted using the bridges, but this is the first confirmed use by an orangutan. Helen Buckland, CEO of SOS, expressed delight at the footage. Erwin Alamsyah Siregar, executive director of TaHuKah, noted that development was necessary for people but required intervention to prevent trapping orangutans. Sumatran orangutans are classified as critically endangered by the IUCN, with fewer than 14,000 individuals remaining. Habitat fragmentation is a major threat, but canopy bridges demonstrate that human development and wildlife can coexist.