Indonesia covers up to protect orangutans from virus threat

A Tapanuli orangutan in the Batang Toru rainforest, its only known habitat, on Sumatra island in Indonesia. The govt in efforts safeguard the orangutan through the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation has closed its doors to visitors and told staff to step up precautions to avoid passing on infection, including by wearing masks and protective gloves. - AFP

JAKARTA: Poaching and habitat loss have decimated Indonesia's orangutan population, but now the Covid-19 (coronavirus) has emerged as another potential deadly threat to the critically endangered species.

While there have been no confirmed cases of transmission from humans to the fuzzy-haired apes, they share 97% of our DNA.