The Batang Toru cloud forest in Sumatra is home to the recently discovered but critically endangered Tapanuli Orangutan. Hotlin Ompusunggu works with local communities to save them by encouraging villagers to grow tree saplings at home and bring them to the clinic as part payment for medical treatment. Chainsaws can also be traded in to help reduce deforestation. This approach allows villagers to receive care while protecting and restoring the forest. Hotlin co-founded the world’s first conservation health clinic in Borneo in 2007, which has grown from fewer than ten staff to over ninety today. The ASRI clinic uses saplings brought by patients to reforest damaged areas, helping wildlife return. Across Asia, many are united in protecting nature for future generations, offering hope for coexistence between people and wildlife worldwide.
