Indonesian Conservation Media Center

Rehabilitation = Life?

(26 Juni 2010)

Rehabilitation is one of the most important processes in protecting the orangutan population, in both Sumatra and Kalimantan. Rehabilitation of endangered species is one of the central problems in conservation biology (Barclay & Cade 1983; Kleiman et al. 1986 in Yeager). Rehabilitation is a medical process until they are healthy again, where the orangutan will be released when they are able to look after themselves independently in the wild (Soehartono, 2007). Rehabilitation centres prepare orangutans to be released into the forest.

Rehabilitation itself is a long process which involves many steps. Both time consuming and tiring and only done by those who have a true passion for these animals. The main purpose of  these rehabilitation centre is to make sure that the orangutan does not become extinct as is still around for years to come. But there is one major question that should be asked and that is “Are rehabilitation centres really  the answer to preventing orangutan extinction?”

As we can see, forests in Kalimantan and Sumatra continue to decline. Satellite studies show that some 56% (more than 29,000 km²) of protected lowland forests in Kalimantan were cut down between 1985 and 2001. Protection laws are in effect throughout Borneo, but are often inadequate or are flagrantly violated, usually without any consequences (www.nationalgeographicindonesia.com). Besides the threat of logging (legal or illegal) there are also threats from fires, habitat fragmentation, hunting, and pet trade (http://www.iucnredlist.org/).

According to information from The National Geographic, there are more than a thousand orangutans waiting to be released in Kalimantan alone. When they finally are released there is also no guarantee that they will survive in the wild with so many threats. One of the main problems at the moment is the continued expansion of palm oil plantations. These plantations end up cutting down nearly all the orangutan habitat that they have left. When orangutans are found wondering in these plantations looking for their homes they usually come to a tragic end. Those that are caught and then brought to rehabilitation centres are the lucky ones.

The more people do not care about what is going on around them, then the higher the threat is to orangutans. Once again the question is “Are rehabilitation centres really the answer to preventing orangutan extinction?” Let us take a few moments to sit and think, do we really want orangutans to disappear forever? How can we as human beings make a difference? What is the key to making sure that orangutans do not become extinct? These are just some of the questions that must be answered for orangutans to survive.  

Daftar Pustaka
Soehartono, T. dkk. 2007. Strategi dan Rencana Aksi Konservasi Orangutan Indonesia 2007-2017. Departemen Kehutanan.
Yeager, C. P., Orangutan Rehabilitation in Tanjung Puting National Park, Indonesia. The Louis Calder Center of Fordham University. USA.
...... pygmaeus. In: IUCN 2007. 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <http://www.iucnredlist.org/>. Downloaded on 09 November 2007.
...... www.nationalgeographicindonesia.com. Downloaded November 2009.