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Online Dating for Endangered Orangutans

Small gestures of traumatised orangutangs indicate interest. (AP)
Small gestures of traumatised orangutangs indicate interest. (AP)
 The Orangutan’s natural habitat on the indonesian islands of Sumatra and Borneo has become fragmented or has disappeared altogether. In the protected Sebangau National Park, located in the southern part of Borneo, orangutans are brought in on a daily basis. The apes in the rescue center, who are considered traumatised, have been short of entertainment. A zoo in the Netherlands has come up with a plan to set up a webcam connection to the rescue center that will allow communication between orangutans in Holland and Borneo.
The Webcams can also be useful for documenting the apes. Their movements are being watched meticulously by researchers studying this ape species to see what effect deforestation is having on its population.
Great apes are among the world’s most threatened species. The great apes of Africa and Asia could face extinction within a generation, while Asia’s only great ape — the orangutan — is losing much of its habitat to deforestation and deliberate burning to make way for agriculture and oil palm plantations. There are about 10,000 orangutans living between Sebangau and Mawas, making up about one-fifth of the world’s orangutan population. Sebangau was declared a national park last October in a last ditch effort to save the forests and their inhabitants.
The current deforestation rate of more than 5,000 square miles per year is likely to rise due to pressure from the country’s growing population and the needs of international markets.
“The consequences of this scale of deforestation will not only result in a major loss of species but also disrupt water supplies and reduce future economic opportunities, such as tourism, and subsistence for local communities,”
says Dr. Chris Elliott, Director of WWF’s Global Forest Program. Dr. Mubariq Ahmad, Executive Director of WWF-Indonesia adds:
“Borneo is undoubtedly one of the most important centers of biodiversity in the world. By acting now, we can ensure that the heart of Borneo remains a haven for both well-known and newly discovered species.”

17 August 2006 | 12.37pm (CEST) | posted by Hili | |
TAGS Media & Information | Science & Technology | Energy & Natural Resources | Environment | Animal Rights

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