Orangutan is a remarkably intelligent great ape,whose diet consists essentially of the fruits,far more than seeds,bark,shoot,and young leaves.They spend most of their times in the trees,resting in nested apartments,made from foliage and branches.The males are generally taller and heavier than the female,and may reach about 178 cm and 280 lbs in some particular cases.Their legs are half as long as the arms,an anatomy that rendered the mammal to walk by dragging on their palms with their fingers curved inwards.
Literally,orangutan mean "man of the forest,"a name which has Malay and Indonesian origin.However,of all the rainforests of the world,these men of the forests are found only in the Island of Borneo and Sumatra.This species of apes has no tail,and the body is covered by a reddish-brown coat and hair.It is now known that these apes are tool users,most especially,for food.A scientific study shows that orangutan and Afican apes,gorillas and chimpanzees,have a common ancestry,which dates back to about 14 million years ago.This is perhaps,the main reason why orangotango is being referred to as African orangutan.
The "Rapid Response" report presented by the United Nations Environmental Programme(UNEP) Governing Council in Nairobi,Kenya on February 6,2007 at its 24th Session, enumerated the
problems faced by the African orangutan in the Indonesia rainforest of Borneo and Sumatra.
Specifically,the activities of timber contractors and forest fires were two key factors that has continued to threaten the existence of the ape.In 2002,the estimated number of Bornean orangutan averaged 57,000 while that of Sumatran orangutan numbered less than 8,000.There is ample evidence that now,the numbers have dropped considerably.
What is really the problem?Fire is destroying Indonesian rainforest faster than previously thought.Illegal logging accounts for approximately 73 percent of all loggings in Indonesia,
and is an activity that occurs in 37 of the 41 national parks in the country.Rachmat Witoelar,
the Indonesian Environmental Minister,advised wood buyers not to buy uncertified woods.
According to him,it is tough policing and enforcing Indonesian's vast parks,because there are 2,000 ramgers on patrol over 100,000 square kilometers.
And what are the issues lying ahead ?About 98 percent of the orangutan's last remaining habitat could be lost by 2022.The Indonesian rainforest may be lost by 2032.Also threatened by the loss of the rainforest are Sumatran tiger,the Sumatran rhinoceros,and the Asian elephants.These are animals that share the same jungle with the orangutan.
Finally,what should be done?In the words of UNEP,the ever-quickening loss of the rainforest in Indonesia could be described as "a conservation emergency."In other words,the case with the African orangutan is not a mid-summer night dream,nor a science fiction.Rather,it is an eyesore,and a cause for concern to all stakeholders.The same is true of all other endangered species all over the world.People should now learn to be better disposed to animals.Every misconception and ignorance need to pave way for a new beginning.The animals are considered part of the environment,an enclave we all share.If the world is better for them,then it is better for man too!
Reference
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orangutan
h ttp://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/12/1220_ 021226_orangutan.html
www.unep-wcmc.org/resources/pub lications/LastStand.htm