Orangutan Population in Sabah Has Decreased by 30% Due To Deforestation For Palm Oil Estates

“The monoculture nature of oil palm plantations means that they tend not to support species that are dependent on forest environment like the orangutan.”

Thankfully, the WWF (World Wide Fund For Nature) said that the overall population of these primates in Sabah is fairly stable with around 11,000 orangutans.

Source: orangutan foundation

The director of Sabah Wildlife Department, Augustine Tuuga, shared that the forest patches allow orangutans to move from one forest to another forested area. This move is very important for their survival, especially in Sabah’s lowlands.

If you didn’t know, Malaysia relies heavily on palm oil as it is one of our main and top industries, but the growth of this lucrative business has taken a toll on the population of orangutans. This is because deforestation has been destroying their homes over the years.

On that note, we hope that authorities are working towards preserving these animals to ensure that they don’t go extinct. They need our help, guys!