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Bornean Orang-utan (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) male baby 'Thor' aged 8-9 months peering from behind his mother. Camp Leakey, Tanjung Puting National Park, Central Kalimantan, Borneo, Indonesia, June 2010.
Baby orangutan - Tanjung Puting National Park, Central Kalimantan, Borneo. © naturepl.com / Fiona Rogers / WWF

Adopt an Orangutan

Orangutans are on the brink of extinction and they urgently need your help.

Help save these gentle giants and give them a chance at survival for generations to come.

THE PERFECT GIFT FOR ANIMAL LOVERS 🎁

Supercharge your impact by selecting an ongoing adoption from as little as $15 per month. You’ll receive regular email updates so you can see the difference your generous support is making.

Monthly donations make it easier to plan for the long-term, helping to keep administration costs down and providing a huge boost to vital conservation work. You’ll always be in control of your giving and can easily contact us should your circumstances change.

These intelligent tree dwellers are clinging to survival

The forests of Borneo were once teeming with orangutans. They are the ultimate forest gardeners, spreading seeds to help maintain the forest ecosystem. 

But these magnificent primates are now under threat of extinction - their population has shrunk by more than 50% in the past 60 years.

In the last 20 years, habitat destruction has destroyed 55% of their forest homes, thanks to demand for paper, timber and palm oil products. Humans are also a danger, poaching these great apes for the pet trade, food, or retaliation when they migrate to agricultural areas and destroy crops. 

You can help protect them from extinction by symbolically adopting an orangutan today. Your monthly donations will symbolise your support for conservation and animal advocacy, and ensure orangutans remain part of the environment forever.

And for each orangutan you assist, you'll also help a host of other wildlife.

Looking to adopt a different animal?

Humpback whale and her calf swimming in the ocean.

Adopt a Whale

Whales face growing threats across our oceans. You can help protect their future by symbolically adopting a whale today.
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Platypus or Duck-billed platypus, Ornithorhynchus anatinus, swimming underwater in a river.

Adopt a Platypus

Platypus are disappearing from our landscapes. You can help bring them back. Please take action now to protect them and their habitat.
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Wombat walking in Wilsons Promontory National Park= Victoria

Adopt a Wombat

Wombats are at risk of losing their habitats. You can help protect their future by symbolically adopting one today.
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A wild koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) climbing in its natural habitat of gum trees.

Adopt a Koala

Koalas are heading for extinction unless urgent action is taken. You can help turn this tragedy around by symbolically adopting a koala today.
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A tiger walks through long grass

Adopt a Tiger

These endangered big cats desperately need your protection. Symbolically adopting a tiger today can help protect them from extinction.
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Quoll homepage banner

Adopt an Eastern Quoll

Eastern quolls are coming back home. You can help them avoid extinction and thrive once more by symbolically adopting one today.
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Green turtles swimming in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Adopt a turtle

Turtles are under threat like never before. With your help we can expand the marine sanctuaries that keep our endangered friends safe.
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Bornean Orang-utan (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) male baby 'Thor' aged 8-9 months peering from behind his mother. Camp Leakey, Tanjung Puting National Park, Central Kalimantan, Borneo, Indonesia, June 2010.

Adopt an Orangutan

These gentle apes are clinging to survival. You can help protect them from extinction by symbolically adopting an orangutan today.
Adopt Now
Adelie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) coming back to shore, Antarctic Peninsula, January 2018.

Adopt a Penguin

Adélie populations have fallen by more than 65% in the past 25 years. You can help protect them from extinction by symbolically adopting a penguin today.
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Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) cub in snow among bamboo, Sichuan Giant Panda Centre, Sichuan, China.

Adopt a Panda

By symbolically adopting a giant panda, your donation stands as a symbol of protection for all vulnerable and iconic species.
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Snow leopard (Uncia uncia) walking in snowy landscape (1000px)

Adopt a Snow Leopard

The survival of snow leopards is under threat. Adopt a snow leopard today and you’ll be helping to protect our planet’s precious wildlife.
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How your donation can help orangutans

By adopting an orangutan today, you can change the fate of these mighty apes by protecting and restoring the trees they need for food and shelter to survive in the wild.
Orangutan baby (Pongo pygmaeus), Semengoh Nature reserve, Sarawak, Borneo, Malaysia
© naturepl.com / Edwin Giesbers / WWF

Protecting and restoring orangutan habitat

Your support can help ensure orangutan habitats in Borneo are healthy, protected and connected. WWF is working with local government, communities and the private sector to support community-led restoration projects and improve practices in local forestry areas.

Aerial view of forest restoration site for orangutan conservation at Bukit Piton Forest Reserve= Lahad Datu= Sabah
© WWF-Malaysia / Mazidi Abd Ghani

Providing necessary biodiversity monitoring training

Your support is helping local forest management units build their capacity for regular biodiversity monitoring – empowering them to better monitor and collect data on the condition of wildlife, like the orangutan, in their managed areas.

Orangutan hides under leaf
© naturepl.com  / Anup Shah / WWF

Promoting sustainable peatland management

Peatlands, an extremely carbon-rich wetland, make up a significant part of orangutan habitat in Borneo. However, they are being cleared to make way for oil palm plantations. Your support can help ensure sustainable peatland management is implemented through best practice methods.

Tree canopy in Tawau Hills Park in Sabah= Borneo= Malaysia
© Aaron Gekoski / WWF-US

Preventing forests fires in Borneo

By promoting fire preventative programs alongside the government, local communities and fisherfolk.

We can't protect orangutans without you

When you symbolically adopt an orangutan, we want you to join them on their journey to a safer future. Your special adoption gift pack includes an adoption certificate, factbook, Living Planet magazine, WWF sticker and an optional cuddly orangutan plush toy. If you sign up to an ongoing adoption, you'll also receive regular updates on how your kind donations are helping to conserve and protect the world's most vulnerable wildlife.

Give a unique and memorable gift

An orangutan adoption is the perfect gift for any animal lover. It's also a great way to inspire friends, family and loved ones to care for nature as much as you do. 

We can send this gift to you or directly to your gift recipient. For last-minute gifts, you can print a personalised adoption certificate or email it directly to your gift recipient. 



Adoption FAQs

Is my donation tax-deductible?

Yes – donations of $2 or more are tax-deductible.

Will I receive a tax receipt for my donation?

For ongoing monthly donations, we’ll send you a tax receipt at the end of financial year for all the monthly donations received. For single donations, we send a receipt shortly after each donation has been processed.

When will my adoption pack arrive?

You should expect to receive your pack in 10 – 15 business days, however please note there may be a slight delay in delivery due to external factors. If you donated by direct debit please allow up to five extra working days for your payment to clear. We’ll keep you posted via email as soon as the parcel is on its way. And if you want to beat the post, you can instantly download a copy of your adoption certificate via a link in the confirmation email.

Do you deliver outside Australia?

No, please note that we are not able to send adoption packs to addresses outside Australia.

What date will my donations come out of my account?

If you've opted to give via a credit or debit card, your first donation will be processed instantly. If you've chosen to pay via your bank account, the direct debit needs to be approved by your bank. This process can take up to a week. 

For regular gifts, your ongoing donations will be processed on the 24th of each month. If the 24th falls on a weekend or public holiday, the transaction will be processed the following day. 

If you've got any questions or concerns, please give us a call on 1800 032 551 or send an email to enquiries@wwf.org.au. We're available Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm (AEST), excl. public holidays. 

What is the symbolic adoption program?

WWF‑Australia’s symbolic adoption lets you support a species without adopting a live animal. When you choose a wombat, koala, platypus, eastern quoll or another species, your donation funds vital conservation work, including restoring and protecting habitats, reintroducing species, and supporting research and advocacy. The animal in your adoption pack represents its entire species, so your gift benefits whole populations and ecosystems. It’s a meaningful way to make a lasting difference, whether for yourself or as a gift.

How will my donation be used?

Our planet’s wildlife is rapidly disappearing and funds from adoptions help protect some of our most important species. Monies raised from adoptions are unrestricted, helping support our wider work protecting wildlife and nature. As our work varies across species and projects and in response to our ever-changing environment, this ensures we have the flexibility to respond in the most impactful way.

Is my donation to WWF-Australia secure?

Absolutely. The WWF-Australia website is fully secure. All pages are encrypted using SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), which you can identify by the page address beginning with “https”.

All donations are processed securely by Stripe, a PCI DSS Level 1 certified payment processor—the highest level of certification in the payments industry.

Stripe uses advanced security measures—including encryption, tokenisation, and real-time fraud detection—to protect your credit card information during and after the transaction. WWF-Australia also works with partners who are required to maintain PCI DSS compliance and implement robust security controls.

Your trust is important to us, and we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of data protection.

What methods of payment are accepted?

We accept MasterCard, Visa and American Express. For single donations, we also accept PayPal.

How do I update my details?

You can easily update it on our secure web page here or you can email our Supporter Relations team: hello@wwf.org.au or phone 1800 032 551.

Can I choose whether I receive a toy or not?

Yes. It’s completely up to you whether you choose to receive a plush toy as part of your adoption. When choosing your pack, select “Just the pack” if you don’t wish to be sent a plush toy.

Is a plush toy guaranteed?

Contents of the welcome pack are subject to availability. If there is a delay or your chosen plush is no longer available, we will do our best to notify you as soon as possible and offer an alternative. To ensure delivery, please check if the address you have provided is correct before proceeding to payment.