Which critically endangered orangutan has the scientific name Pongo abelii?

The critically endangered orangutan with the scientific name Pongo abelii is the Sumatran orangutan.

Pongo abelii lives naturally on Sumatra, mainly in the island’s northern forests, especially the Leuser Ecosystem. Its scientific name distinguishes it from the Bornean orangutan, Pongo pygmaeus, and the Tapanuli orangutan, Pongo tapanuliensis. The three are separate orangutan species, not merely regional forms of one animal.

The Sumatran orangutan was once more widely distributed across the island, but logging, agricultural expansion, roads, habitat fragmentation, and illegal capture have sharply reduced its range. It has been classified as Critically Endangered since 2000. Unlike the more solitary-looking Bornean species, Sumatran orangutans are often described as having especially strong social bonds, with females and their young maintaining close associations.

A common mix-up is confusing this species with the Tapanuli orangutan, which was scientifically recognized as a distinct species in 2017 and also occurs on Sumatra. The name orangutan comes from Malay words meaning “person of the forest.”