A Little Info On Our Little Friend
Living in the rain forests of Borneo and Sumatra the orang-utan faces threats from all sides loss of habitat and the intervention of men. Another animal humans see as a source of entertainment in circuses and zoos and as pets whilst they are young. Its the loss of rain forests that is the main threat not just to the orang-utan but to countless species of animal that inhabit them, whilst the timber is valuable to mankind the loss of rainforest's more than any other habit is irreplaceable, once the trees are removed the rainforest's is gone and it will not regenerate. To reach the stage it is at now will have taken millions of years and it would take that long again to regrow, the orang-utan hasn't got that long. By saving the rain forest for the orang-utan we are saving it for countless numbers of other animals some yet undiscovered, lets not forget that the majority of medicines have a plant base who's to say what undiscovered plant may cure, cancer, AIDS....
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To Save The Innocent
The Sumatran Orangutan Society (S.O.S.), set up recently by foreign volunteers, paid transport costs for "Oki", a pet orangutan donated to the Bohorok Center in June 1998 with the Department of Forestry's permission. The mission failed as another government department refused the transport permit for the ape because the center was officially closed. It is indeed very sad that there is nowhere for donated orangutans to be placed. This is just one example of the lack of facilities in Sumatra. Many such pets and refugees are unlikely to survive without a holding station. Today, the only organization promoting the cause of the Sumatran sub species is the S.O.S. They intend to continue support for the animals and training at Bohorok and any future facility, to promote advocacy, education within Indonesia and internationally, and to support non-invasive, behavioral research on behalf of the Sumatran orangutan.
(adapted from Great Apes Conference www.orangutans-sos.org)
(adapted from Great Apes Conference www.orangutans-sos.org)
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So the question remains: How can we save the orangutan?
Two threats need to be eliminated:
1) The destruction of orangutan habitat -- the forests --
2) and the killing of orangutans themselves.
We will need a cooperative effort. Gunung Leuser and Tanjung Puting are proof that not all national parks must lose their tall forests. Those with significant support from nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) fare better than those without.
The successes in orangutan conservation also appear to be linked to effective partnerships between local stakeholders with real commitment to forest conservation were built. It doesn't really seem to matter whether these stakeholders are from the local government, local communities, or the private sector. What matters is whether they care about conservation. And often, a focus on the forest and its economic and ecological value, rather than on orangutans, appears to be a key to success.
The solution to preventing the extinction of orangutans lies in combining all these approaches, with the focus on two important areas:
Firstly, we need new legislation that prohibits the destruction of the habitat of protected species. The use of such forests might be allowed, but the user has the responsibility to ensure that populations do not decline.
Secondly, forests need to be managed so that threats can be abated. Such effective forest management requires real commitment, an investment from a range of stakeholders, and effective control, either by government or an independent organization,
We need to increase collaboration to become a more effective force that ensures these changes will happen. The orangutan conservation community of today is fragmented with inter-personal and inter-organizational competition preventing it from becoming a strong force. If we can unite as a community, we will represent an enormous national and international force and millions of dollars of funding for orangutan conservation. We must put aside our differences and recognize how we can effectively work together.
If we speak with one strong, clear voice, we will influence government and enact sound policy, giving Indonesia's orangutans a chance to survive. But if we don't, our "people of the forest" will be forever silenced.
(adapted from We Must Act Now to Save Orangutans)
