He lives in the rainforests of the island of Sumatra, also home to tigers, elephants and rhinos. In fact, Sumatra is the only place on earth where all these magnificent species can be found living under the same forest canopy.
The bad news is that their precious home is being destroyed at an alarming rate. We need to act now to ensure that Armstrong and his friends don’t disappear forever.
Huge areas of rainforest are being replaced with rows and rows of a single type of tree – the oil palm. Palm oil is found in a huge range of products, from toothpaste to chocolate bars. Wildlife cannot survive in oil palm plantations.
In some areas, including inside national parks, farmers have cut into the forest to grow food. As well as being bad news for Armstrong and his friends, this can cause natural disasters such as landslides and flooding.
Although illegal, sometimes fire is used to clear land to grow crops, as this is cheaper than hiring bulldozers. The fires can quickly spread out of control, damaging forests and threatening wildlife, people and the climate.
As their habitat shrinks, orangutans are forced into farmlands in search of enough food to survive. They can become stranded, unable to return to safe forests, and are at risk of poaching for the illegal pet trade and conflict with humans if they eat or damage their crops.
The Sumatran Orangutan Society works to protect orangutans, their forests and their future. We support frontline conservation programmes in and around the rainforests of northern Sumatra.
We have already planted more than 1.5 million trees to replace some of the forests that have been lost. We need to increase these efforts to restore Armstrong’s home to its full glory, and ensure it is safe for a long time to come.
We work with rural communities in Sumatra, empowering, educating and equipping them to become guardians of their forests and wildlife.
Our campaigns target the root causes of deforestation, and shine a global spotlight on the breathtaking biodiversity in Sumatra’s last standing forests.
£5
A sapling grows into a mighty tree, providing food and a nesting spot for orangutans and their friends.
£22
Plant a mixture of trees to help bring back the diverse natural rainforest ecosystem.
£40
Planting 10 trees will help attract birds and animals back to the area, which in turn help the forest recover.
£50
Organic compost is vital to nourish and nurture the new saplings, ensuring they grow tall and strong.
£250
Camera traps help us monitor wildlife returning, taking a picture every time an animal walks in front of them.
£2000
Build a new field station and tree nursery, where the restoration team nurture young trees before they are planted.
Your donation will help us protect and restore forests in Sumatra.
I understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax in the current tax year than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations it is my responsibility to pay any difference. The Gift Aid claimed will be used to help fund the whole of SOS's work.
Not only have you just planted a tree to help restore damaged forests, but your donation will also help support our work to protect remaining orangutan habitat through community conservation, education and campaigning.
Thank you!