BIENVENUE: Orangutan

Endangered to Critically Endangered!

Do you familiar with the name of 'Orangutan'?

I guess everybody know what Orangutan is. As its name 'Orangutan' means 'the man of the forest'. Originally, Orangutans can only found in Sumatera and Borneo island of Indonesia (and Malaysia). Classified in the genus Pongo, they have been devided into to two species: the Bornean Orangutan (P. pygmaeus) and the Sumatran Orangutan (P. abelii). They live in the primary and secondary forests. For your information, Orangutan is the most arboreal of the great apes.

How are Orangutans look like?

Physically, Orangutans have the ape-like shape, shaggy reddish hair and grasping hands and feet. As a tree-climbing mammal, Orangutans spend most of their time in the tree. Obviously, to climb the tree they have such a strong and long hands and arms. In opposite, their legs are relatively shorter than the arms and also weaker.

Orangutans are such an intelligent animal. Moreover, they are the most intelligent among the primates. From the articles that I read, during the last several centuries Orangutan had amazed the international scientific community impressive, human-like mental abilities allowing them to adapt to their environment. They are also a quick learner. They learn new skills, they even plan their actions ahead, and also solve their dialy problem.

Orangutans can be categorized as a solitary animal. The male and female mostly only interact during the mating period. By the statistics, female Orangutans have a much longer interbirth interval then human. Females give birth probably not more than once in 5 years (other source says they only give birth one in 7-9years) with the interbirth interval around 10 years. Everytine they give birth, usually it is only deliver 1 infant; twins is rare.

The population of Orangutan is decreasing. Somehow, I feel so sad and angry at the same time while reading about the habitat loss and also the poaching of Orangutans. Definitely not a surprise knowing that their status is now endangered to critically endangered animal. Their numbers having fallen drastically in the past centuries. If this keep on occuring, they may be lost forever from the wild in few decades ahead.

The rich tropical forests are being replaced by the logging, agricultural concessions, and unnatural forests fire. The poaching and hunting of Orangutans keep on occurRing. So many illegal trades including importation of Orangutan as a pet. The less strict policy and untransparent case and court.

So now, who to blame? The irresponsible parties? The goverment? Or our own self for being apathetic and having lack of concern?

Let's preserve our Orangutans and stop making them cry!