New IUCN guidelines emphasize that orangutans can survive and breed in modified habitats as long as they can move freely to access forest resources, and are protected from killing and capture. Translocating wild orangutans as a response to their presence around crops or human-use areas should be a last resort, used only when an individual's life is in immediate danger. These guidelines build on the precautionary principle that "protection of wild populations is always the priority" - when evidence is lacking that an action will not cause harm, it should be assumed harmful and avoided. Evidence shows that translocation can cause harm to both individual orangutans and wild populations. Most orangutans encountered in human-modified landscapes are not in danger unless humans harm them. Wild orangutans are not naturally aggressive to humans unless cornered or threatened, cause relatively little crop damage, and can coexist with humans when given space and proper management approaches that address community needs rather than simply removing the animals. As the human footprint expands across ever more of the orangutan range, conflicts are expected to increase, highlighting the urgent need to shift from short-term translocation-based approaches to working with local residents and businesses to protect orangutans where they are found, including in agricultural mosaic landscapes and other human-modified areas.

 

The guidelines emphasize that most orangutans found in plantations, agricultural areas, or small forest fragments are part of regional metapopulations and are at risk primarily if harmed or removed by humans. Rather than removal, the priority should be protecting orangutans in place through law enforcement, community engagement, habitat protection, and developing coexistence strategies that benefit both orangutans and local communities.

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In addition to the decision tree diagram and step-by-step written process outlined in the guidelines, an online decision tool is available at: https://forms.gle/prxX3A5jFLJgu4pG8 to support practitioners in effectively responding to orangutan-human interactions and achieving positive outcomes for both orangutans and local communities.