In 2002, the World Conservation Union put the species on the IUCN Red List with critically endangered status.
A recent survey in 2004 estimated around 7,300 sumatran orang-utans still live in the wild. Some of them are being protected in five areas in Gunung Leuser National Park and others live in unprotected areas: northwest and northeast Aceh block, West Batang Toru river, East Sarulla and Sidiangkat. A breeding program has been established in Bukit Tiga Puluh National Park in Jambi and Riau provinces and has resulted new population of Sumatran orangutans.