Current Events
by Amy Austin
Help for Orangutans
from Class Afloat News, February 3, 1997
Malaysia is a land dense with forests. Over 80 percent of the land is classified as forestland. These forests are home to over 14,500 species of flowering plants and trees, 600 species of birds, 210 of mammals, 150 of frogs, 140 of snakes, 80 of lizards, and thousands of insects. Despite strides to save the habitat of all these species, the deforestation of Malaysia both on the Peninsula and on the island of Borneo continues.
One unique animal whose existence depends on these forests is the orangutan. In Malay the word orangutan means "man of the forest." Covered with reddish-brown fur, they are the largest of the great apes and are described as shy and solitary. Their short legs and long arms make for awkward transportation on the ground, but while climbing from tree to tree they appear quite graceful. They generally live thirty years and the males can weigh up to 150-170 pounds.
Orangutans were once abundant through Southeast Asia, but over the years their population has fallen significantly. In recent times it is rare to find any wild orangutans in Malaysia except on the island of Borneo. Their decreasing population is due to many factors. The loss of forests due to logging and other human activities creates a smaller food supply for these vegetarian animals. Also, although Malaysia has passed laws to control poaching, there are still many people who capture baby orangutans to sell as pets. In order to capture a baby orangutan, the poachers usually kill its mother. Also considering that most baby orangutans do not survive their time in captivity before being sold, it is estimated that 5 to 8 orangutans die for every one successfully sold.
In 1964, the Malaysian government established the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary. Its mission is to rescue captured babies and return them to the wild after teaching them all the survival lessons they should have learned from their mothers, such as, climbing trees and finding food. So far, over 100 orangutans have been returned to the wild because of this program. For the sake of these creatures, who are after all our distant cousins, let us all hope for their continued success.