There are now several orang utan rehabilitation centres in Sumatra and Borneo, where rescued orang utans are nursed back to health and trained to survive in the wild. The largest of these centres is the Balikpapan Orangutan Survival Foundation, founded by Dr Willie Smits. The centres provides healthcare and training for confiscated orang utans, so that they can be reintroduced to their natural habitat.

Several parks and reserves have been set up in Malaysia and Indonesia to provide refuge for orang utans. The habitat is protected in these sanctuaries, so the orangs can live in relative safety.

Another important factor in conserving the remaining orang utan population is education of local communities, to draw attention to the plight of the great apes. This could cause a reduction in poaching, and less deforestation of the remaining orang habitats.