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Orangutans are highly intelligent
with an ability to reason and think. This large, gentle red ape is one
of our closest relatives, sharing 97% of the same DNA as humans. Indigenous
peoples of Indonesia and Malaysia call this ape Orang Hutan literally
translating into English as "People of the Forest". In times
past they would not kill them because they felt the orangutan was simply
a person hiding in the trees, trying to avoid having to go to work or
become a slave. Orangutans are unique in the
ape world. There are four great ape species: gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos
and orangutans. Only the orangutan comes from Asia; the others all come
from Africa. The orangutan is the only
strictly arboreal ape and is actually the largest tree living mammal in
the world. The rest of the apes do climb and build sleeping nests in the
trees, but are primarily terrestrial (spending their lives on the ground).
Even the hair color of the orangutan, a bright reddish brown, is unique
in the ape world. Almost all of the food they
eat grows in the treetops and the frequent rains fill the leaves thus
supplying their drinking water. When water is difficult to get, they chew
leaves to make a sponge to soak up water in tree cavities. When it rains
very hard the orangutan makes an umbrella for himself out of big leaves.
Many people are familiar with the studies that have shown chimpanzees
using tools, such as termite-fishing sticks. Recent studies show that
some populations of orangutans also fashion tools to aid in the difficult
task of foraging for food. Orangutans have four hands
instead of two hands and two feet. This makes them graceful and swift
while swinging through the trees but it makes walking on the ground very
slow and awkward. That is why the orangutan is at a great disadvantage
on the ground, and why the orangutan rarely comes down from the treetops.
Their food is there, their home is there and they are safer there. The orangutan has the longest childhood dependence on the mother of any animal in the world, because there is so much for a young orangutan to learn in order to survive. The babies nurse until they are about six years of age. The young males may stay close by their mothers for a few more years but the females may stay until they are into their teens, allowing them to observe mothering skills as they watch their younger sibling being raised by the mother. Orangutan females only give birth about once every 8 years - the longest time between births of any mammal on earth. (This results in only 4 to 5 babies in her lifetime). This is why orangutan populations are very slow to recover from disturbance. Food is often scarce in the
rain forest and that is why the orangutan is a semi-solitary creature.
In times of great abundance of food, orangutans may use the opportunity
to socialize and gather in small groups. Their diet is made up of bark,
leaves, flowers, a variety of insects, and most importantly, over 300
kinds of fruit. The mothers must teach the babies what food to eat, where
to find that food, in which trees and during which seasons. It is thought
that the orangutan must have a very detailed map of the forest in her
mind, and detailed knowledge of the fruiting cycles of many species of
trees. (This prevents wasting valuable energy searching for fruit trees
randomly, and traveling to a certain fruiting tree whose fruits will not
ripen for some time). The babies must eventually know hundreds of species
of plants and trees, which ones are edible, and how to process them; some
are very difficult to eat because they are protected by sharp spines and
shells. The throat sac is used to
make a very notable and recognizable call that echoes through the forest.
This is called the " Long Call" and is used to locate and advertise
their presence to females or warn other males away
ORANG-UTAN SURVIVAL A long, long time ago, orang-utans were spreading over the South-east Asia region, and, from fossil remains, even up to the region of southern China. Nowadays, the orang-utan is an endangered species, and they are only found in the tropical forests of Sumatra and Kalimantan in Indonesia. The population of orang-utans in their natural habitats has fallen dramatically over the past two decades. Recent estimates place the numbers at between 10,000 and 15,000 in Kalimantan and from 5,000 - 9,000 in Sumatra. Damaging their habitat, the illegal hunting and trading of young orang-utans has reduced the orang-utan population while at the same time many environmental and man-induced factors have resulted in more and more infants than ever being abandoned or mistreated. Contributory factors to the reduction of the orang-utans' habitat are forest clearing for agriculture, plantations, and slash-and-burn cultivation, and also deforestation caused by illegal tree cutting. Orangutan numbers have plummeted across their range in Indonesia and Malaysia largely due to destruction of their habitat. Orangutans favor the lowland regions of the islands of Borneo and Sumatra where illegal logging has spiraled out of control. Although the keeping of orang-utans as pets is forbidden in Indonesia, the trading of young orang-utans still persists. Indonesians and foreigners pay a high price for these young orang-utans. However, these people are unaware that their actions will cause the illegal pet trade to continue. To get a young orang-utan suitable for a pet, a hunter might first have to kill the mother, with the result that the baby often falls from the tree. The trip from the forest to the illegal market is also extremely hazardous, with a rough calculation that only one in three orang-utans will survive the ordeal. In the past, many young orang-utans have been smuggled to Taiwan and kept as domestic pets. In such cases, the young orang-utans are often treated as if they were a "children's toy", but once they reach five years of age, they become wild, because of their great strength and size and their natural instincts. At this time, many orang-utans are caged, and suffer further through maltreatment and carelessness. Orang-utans are also susceptible to human diseases and often become sick through a lack of proper nutrition. (Ind.handbook 2002). Therefore, orang-utans have to be saved, protected and preserved. In order to safeguard and protect the orang-utan and other wildlife species in Indonesia, since 1978, the Directorate of Nature Conservation and Wildlife Management (Direktorat Perlindungan dan Pengawetan Alam, or PPA as abbreviated), has set the target of designating about 10% of land as preserved areas. There are at present 320 natural reserves and natural parks in Indonesia, and more are proposed. The PPA has adopted the modern natural conservation practice, which emphasizes the conservation of the entire ecosystem. This is necessary as it is often not possible to preserve wildlife without its habitat. The orang-utan (Pongo pygmaeus - "man of the jungle"), for example, is very dependent on primary forest habitat. Therefore to protect their habitat, the PPA in cooperation with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has established "Orang Utan Rehabilitation" Projects in Bohorok in Sumatra and in the Tanjung Putting reserve in Kalimantan for retraining illegally captured orang-utans for life in the wilderness. Several of these centres are described in more detail below.
TANJUNG PUTING NATIONAL PARK,
CENTRAL KALIMANTAN Camp Leakey, the oldest of the park's camps, is situated deep in the heart of Tanjung Puting. Canadian scientist Dr Birute Galdikas founded Camp Leakey in 1971 and named it after the famous anthropologist Louis Leakey, who was the mentor of Dr Galdikas, Dianne Fossey (known for her work with mountain gorillas) and Dr Jane Goodall (known for her work with chimpanzees). Camp Leakey was originally a research station and was later used as a rehabilitation centre for local orang-utans who had been born in the wild but had found their way into the human world - usually as pets. At the centre they were re-introduced, as much as possible, into the wild. About 1987, Dr Galdikas brought the use of Camp Leakey for rehabilitation purposes to an end and opened a new rehabilitation centre, Tanjung Harapan - the first camp that visitors to Tanjung Puting encounter. At Tanjung Harapan, after a thorough check for diseases in the camp's clinic, formerly captive orang-utans are released into the surrounding forest where they learn to socialise with other semi-wild orang-utans, to forage for food and build nests. Regular feedings take place, moving deeper and deeper into the forest as the animals acclimatise to their new environment. Visitors are welcome at Tanjung Harapan and they can trek into the jungle to watch the feedings. Once orang-utans stop going to feedings on a regular basis, they are moved to Tanjung Puting's second rehabilitation centre, Pondok Tanguay, located even deeper in the national park, and also open to visitors. (S.McVicar,"Garuda",11/97).
In the ten years to June 2001, the Wanariset Semboja centre has released more than 400 orang-utans back to their natural habitat; the first six releases were made in the protection forest of Sungai Wain and the next eight were carried out at a specially dedicated site at the Meratus Mountain. Another 100 wild orang-utans have been taken there to safer territory, from Sebulu. In June 2001 there were also 217 orang-utans at the forest research centre in Semboja in various stages of rehabilitation prior to their release. More recently, on 4 November, 2001, the Balikpapan Orangutan Survival Foundation received wide acclamation with the successful release of forty orang-utans, aged 4-5 years old, this being the largest release ever undertaken by the centre. Many of these had been rescued by BOSF following the devastating forest fires of 1997-98 that destroyed a vast area of orang-utan habitat in Indonesia. The Wanariset Semboja project is based on the extensive fieldwork conducted by Dr Herman Rijksen and the approach he formulated for the rehabilitation of ex-petted orang-utans and their eventual return to their natural habitat. The concept is based on the re-introduction of orang-utans to places where there are no wild orang-utans and is designed to support the law enforcement activities of the Indonesian Natural Resources Conservation Department and other agencies concerning the protection of orang-utans, and supplemented by an intensive media campaign. According to a spokesman at the centre, J Mandala, the number of orang-utans in the care of WORP in currently well up on past years in consequence of these efforts, either through confiscation or by voluntary hand-over from the public from various cities in Java and Jakarta.
The second step is Socialization. The orang-utans in good health will be taken to the socialization quarters where they will be given the critical survival skills they need once they are released. During this often-lengthy period of rehabilitation they will have training on how to build a nest, what food to eat, and how to get along with other orang-utan in the wild. The final step is the Release. Researchers will evaluate the orang-utans during the socialization period to ensure that only healthy, highly skilled primates are returned to their habitat. The location of their release will already have been mapped out, making certain that a variety of tree fruits are available and that there are no wild orang-utans in the vicinity. As mentioned earlier, the two areas where releases are carried out are in the forest of Sungai Wain and at a site in the lower part of the Meratus mountain. Sungai Wain is a swampy forest with both economic and social value as the water catchment for Balikpapan City. Here, the water supply can only be maintained if the rest of the forest is preserved. Total area of the forest is approximately 11,000 hectares. The Meratus mountain site is particularly suitable since it has no wild orang-utan and has ample tree fruits, swamps and ponds. Some animals also come here to drink. It covers an area of 28,000 hectares with the capacity to accommodate many hundreds of orang-utans. BOSF field researchers closely monitor the orang-utans for a period of up to six months following release, to ensure each orang-utan has fully adapted to its new surroundings. They will record, among other things, the activities of each of the orang-utans, their trips, and their eating habits. Their health is continually monitored. Orang-utans that come to the food platform are given extra fruits to supplement their diet. PROJECT FUNDING Wanariset needs contributions from all parties for continuation of the project. For further information, please contact The Balikpapan Orangutan Survival Foundatio: P.O. Box 500, Balikpapan
76103 Tel. (+62 542) 410365/413069/735206
INDONESIA TAKES ACTION TO SAVE FORESTS AND ORANGUTANS The Indonesian Minister of
Forestry in 18 April 2001 has banned the domestic and international sale
of a valuable tree species - ramin - to help protect vital orangutan habitat
in the world famous Tanjung Puting National Park Ramin is a hardwood found only in Indonesia and Malaysia. It is used for fine furniture, moldings, cue sticks, futon beds, picture frames, window blinds and other high value products. It is sold on the international market for up to US$1,000 per cubic meter making it one of the most valuable hardwood species. It is found in swamp forests which are rapidly disappearing and are home to many rare and endangered species. From 1995-1998, the United States was the world's second largest importer of Indonesian ramin, importing 71 million kilograms worth US$68 million. The ban on the sale of
ramin is cautiously welcomed by the Environmental Investigation Agency/EIA
(www.ecocrimes.com)and
Telapak Indonesia-an independent, non profit environmental group, which
have produced a series of investigative reports and identified ramin as
a key species being taken from the Park. EIA and Telapak Indonesia are
appealing to enforcement authorities in the US, Europe and Japan to give
priority to stopping imports of ramin. For further information visit :
www.dephut.go.id |
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