Conservationists have been warning of this moment for years. Orangutans one of the planets most intelligent animals are officially headed for extinction.

The Bornean orangutan is now critically endangered , according to a species assessment published this week by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The animal's Sumatran cousin, the other species of orangutan, was already listed as critically endangered meaning all orangutans are now at extremely high risk of extinction in the wild, IUCN said.

This is full acknowledgement of what has been clear for a long time: Orangutan conservation is failing , Andrew Marshall, one of the assessments authors, told Mongabay this week.