Indonesian Conservation Media Center

What Must We Do?

A major problem at the moment in Indonesia is the great loss of forests, especially in Sumatra and Kalimantan. This continuous loss of forest has a great affect on orangutans. Around 630 orangutans currently under rehabilitation in Central Kalimantan Orangutan Reintroduction Program at Nyaru Menteng are in danger of not being able to be released in the forest. Togu Manurung PhD., Chairman of the BOS Foundation said that it is not an easy task to find natural forest areas in Central Kalimantan.

There are four major problems regarding orangutan issue, they are land-use change into plantation by hacking down forest areas, forest fires, illegal logging, and wild animals trade. These are the main causes of habitat loss. As the habitat continues to decrease, the chance of orangutan survival also continues to decrease.

Besides that, illegal trade is also a big problem. Eventhough orangutans are protected by law they are still sold. Around 1000 orang-utans are being killed each year so that their babies can be traded as pets, leaving the primate species on the brink of survival, the WWF warns in a new report.

The orang-utan - meaning "man of the forest" in Malay - is native to the tropical rainforests of Sumatra and Borneo. They are already under severe threat due to intensive logging of their habitat - over 90% of the species were wiped out during the last century.

Orang-utans are now the most expensive primates for sale in Indonesian markets - the babies are kept as household status symbols or traded for use in the entertainment industry. Once they reach adulthood, many are killed or abandoned, says the. All of this happens in front of our eyes, but most of the time we choose to ignore it.

What will it take to make us realize the seriousness of these problems? It seems that the government also chooses to turn a blind eye on what is really going on.