Deadly floods in Indonesia's Batang Toru region have caused major damage to the habitat of the world's rarest great ape, the Tapanuli orangutan. With fewer than 800 Tapanulis left, scientists warn the disaster is an “extinction-level disturbance.” One dead orangutan has already been found. Experts say between 6 and 11% of the orangutans in the West Block habitat may have died. Erik Meijaard, an orangutan conservationist, stated, "Any kind of adult mortality that exceeds 1%, you’re driving the species to extinction, irrespective of how big the population is at the start." Satellite images reveal huge landslides that wiped out forest areas over a kilometre long and nearly 100 metres wide. These mudslides destroyed food and shelter crucial to the orangutans and other wildlife like elephants. David Gaveau, a satellite monitoring expert, said, "I have never seen anything like this before during my 20 years of monitoring deforestation in Indonesia with satellites." Over 9% of the West Block habitat may be destroyed. Environmentalists call for an immediate stop to industrial projects like hydropower and gold mining, which have pressured the land. The Indonesian government has suspended permits for such projects and admitted that deforestation worsened the flooding. Scientists also link climate change to the heavier rains. Panut Hadisiswoyo, head of the Orangutan Information Centre, said, "This fragile and sensitive habitat in West Block must be fully protected by halting all habitat-damaging development." Conservationists urge urgent surveys and efforts to restore forests to save the Tapanuli orangutans from extinction.