Orangutan on Borneo: Rescue through a new protected area!

Orangutan on Borneo: Rescue through a new protected area!

Kalimantan, Indonesien - Almost 250 rescued orangutans were relocated to a new station by a protective center on Borneo. The move, which was financed by donations, has become necessary because the old Nyaru Menteng rescue center is to be converted into a local recreation area. The organization BOS (Borneo Orangutan Survival) underlines the importance of a natural habitat for the rehabilitation of the animals. Constant human contacts are not ideal for restoring the natural way of life of the orangutans.

The new center is almost twice as large, with 132 hectares of area, and is located in central-Kalimantan. There the animals find stable ropes, tire swings, artificial nests and a playground with climbing opportunities. In addition to the forest school, BOS also operates a kindergarten and priority islands, the so -called "Walduni". Some of the rescued orangutans will remain permanently in the center because they cannot survive in the wilderness.

threats for the orangutans

The situation of the orangutans is alarming. According to the World Conservation Union (IUCN), the Borneo-orangutans are on the edge of the extermination. They are only "a step from type of species". On the Red List of IUCN, they are classified as "threatened with extinction", the highest risk level that reflects the dramatic decline in their stocks. Deforestation for palm oil plantations, cabbage seminas and illegal wildlife trade are the main reasons for the decline in this kind.

The habitats of the orangutans, which only exist in the jungles of Borneo and Sumatra, are increasingly threatened by human interventions. Sustainable cultivation methods for palm oil, rubber and paper are necessary to stop this threatening trend. The IUCN is planning a congress to discuss strategies for better control of fishing and palm oil plantations.

The variety of orangutan species

The biological family of the great apes, which also include orangutans, includes smaller Gibbons in addition to the large great apes such as gorillas and chimpanzees. Three species of orangutan have been recognized since 2017: the Borneo-Orang-Utan, the Sumatra-Orang-Utan and the Tapanuli Orang-Utan. The latter is particularly acutely threatened with extinction, with only about 800 individuals who live in a strongly limited living space in the Batang-Toru forest.

orangutans are the largest tree-living mammals and spend almost their whole life in trees. They are loners, and female orangutans have a close relationship with their offspring, whereby they only get a boy every four to eight years. Their span can be up to two meters. The brutal reality with which these majestic animals are confronted requires urgent measures to secure their continued existence.