Within the last 40 years, more than 50 percent of the Bornean Orangutan population has perished. The total population is estimated to be just over 100,000, with the number declining every year. According to the IUCN, Bornean Orangutans are critically endangered. As more habitat gets destroyed for palm oil plantations and illegal logging and orangutans used for bushmeat, we can count on the population suffering more losses. Primarily, orangutans suffer the most because of palm oil plantations. Palm oil is a widely accepted, versatile household good in food products and cosmetics. While convenient, the palm oil plantations on Borneo are devastating to the island's biodiversity.

Orangutans are fully protected in Malaysia and Indonesia. However, its forest habitat is not necessarily protected, leaving orangutans vulnerable. An area-based regional management plan is currently in effect by the IUCN to protect the remaining individuals of Orangutans. Biodiversity is most abundant in the tropics, and Borneo is no exception as a biodiverse hotspot, boasting habitat heterogeneity and supporting many organisms than just the orangutan. As of 2015, more than 90% of internationally traded palm oil companies have committed to eliminating deforestation and peatland conversion. The Centre for Orangutan Protection (COP) partnered with the Orangutan Project and formed an elite team investigating and exposing illegal loggers and poachers in Borneo. They conduct rescues of displaced orangutans and foster them extensively until they are ready to be released into protected habitats.

Orangutans are a keystone species; thus, they should be a top priority for EUCG's habitat protection program. Receiving 60% of their diet from about 150 different species of fruit trees, orangutans yield high seed dispersal rates, providing food and habitat for familiar species and organisms we've yet to discover. Male orangutans can travel 1,000 meters daily looking for food. If protected, their broad geographic range will arm many species with resistance to extinction in the face of habitat loss. Orangutans are charismatic, familiar animals that create curiosity and compassion in humans. They can be an advocate for their entire ecosystem based on this advantage. Using orangutans as the face of a movement to generate funds and protect their habitat will be easier than using an equally important but less attractive animal.