This is so heartbreaking!
According to the Borneo Post, the Orang Utan population has experienced an alarming decline in Borneo Island, going down by a quarter in the past 10 years.
Researchers revealed the alarming decline after conducting an analysis was conducted on the long-term Orang Utan population trends in Borneo.
The research team said their findings were “a wake-up call for the orangutan conservation community and the Indonesian and Malaysian governments who have committed to saving the species.”
Every year, $30-40 million (approx RM128 million – RM171 million) is reportedly spent to put an end to wildlife decline, but the study shows that these funds are not effectively spent. Why la? T_T
The study also revealed that about 2,500 of these apes are killed in Borneo every year.
“Right now, 10,000 orangutans live in areas earmarked for oil palm production,” said one of the researchers.
“If these areas are converted to oil palm plantations without changes in current practices, most of these 10,000 individuals will be destroyed and the steep population decline is likely to continue.”
This definitely should be a wake-up call to authorities to re-think how to go about conserving these endangered apes.
Orang Utans are definitely one of the more gentle species of apes in the world, and it would be such a shame to see them go extinct within our lifetime.
People often take nature for granted and are completely unaware of how they affect the environment and all its precious creatures.
These apes definitely deserve more than to just be trapped in cages too, much like what Caesar from War for the Planet of the Apes went through!
Born as an ape with special abilities and an extremely high IQ, Caesar had a difficult life. From being cooped up in a house to being trapped in a cage with violent apes, all he ever wanted was to fight for freedom. Can you imagine how it’ll be like if our Orang Utans could fight like them?
Find out Caesar’s fate in the third installment of the Planet of the Apes series, War for the Planet of the Apes, out in Malaysian cinemas on the 13th of July 2017!