Orangutan killings in Borneo likely still occurring in large numbers

People may kill orangutans out of fear or because the animals are invading gardens or crops, for their meat or body parts, or to catch babies for the pet trade. Photograph: Anup Shah/Getty Images

Orangutans on the island of Borneo continue to be illegally killed, likely in large numbers, even when there are nearby projects to save the critically endangered primate, according to new research.

Despite the taboo and illegal nature of killing orangutans, researchers heard evidence of a direct killing from at least one person in 30% of 79 villages surveyed in Indonesia’s Kalimantan region.