The Survival Of The Bornean Orangutan Is At Risk
The Bornean orangutan has been declared endangered according to a report by the IUCN ( International Union for the Conservation of Nature ). This means that efforts to support its conservation and survival over the past 50 years have not been enough. In this article, we will try to understand why the survival of the Bornean orangutan is at risk.
The most recent data published by a team of 38 international institutions suggests that, between 1999 and 2015, the total number of orangutans fell by more than 100,000.
This means the species is disappearing faster than experts predicted.
Regardless of the positive results of previous conservation efforts, the only significant goal has not been achieved: a stable or growing population. The sad reality is that there is very little that can be done to change this phenomenon that seems unstoppable and difficult to control. Let’s see together why the survival of the Bornean orangutan is at risk .
Threats to the survival of the Bornean orangutan
According to studies conducted by the IUCN, in 2010 only 59.6% of the forests of Borneo were suitable for orangutans. While much of this land is technically protected by the governments of Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, there are still ongoing threats.
These threats are mainly represented by human activity. Intense illegal logging, the transformation of forests into vast oil palm plantations and the destruction of some forests for road construction are just a few examples.
The habitat of the Bornean orangutan is also damaged by large fires, facilitated by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation meteorological phenomenon . Furthermore, the illegal trade in animals affects the decline in populations of this species. Finally, these specimens are even hunted to be eaten by some indigenous peoples.
The estimates are alarming
In the past, the populations of the Bornean orangutan included hundreds of thousands of individuals. According to current estimates, the total number has decreased by 50%. The most recent and accurate figures can be found on the IUCN website.
According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, about 14,600 Sumatran orangutans remain in the wild. The Bornean orangutan, on the other hand, is estimated at around 104,700.
Substantial habitat loss for these primates on both islands suggests that the current figures are indeed lower than the IUCN Red List numbers. In addition, between 2,000 and 3,000 Bornean orangutans have been killed each year over the past forty years.
The Bornean orangutan is an adaptive species
Orangutans, in general, are a highly sensitive species that can only survive in the most virgin ecological conditions. However, the more researchers learn about this species, the more they discover that these primates have been able, over the past few years, to adapt to new challenges.
For example, the Bornean orangutan has been observed to walk on the ground more often than previously thought. In addition, it sometimes feeds on plants that are not part of its natural diet, such as acacia or oil palm.
These behaviors allow them to survive in fragmented landscapes and in much smaller forest areas. However, they are not enough to cope with the high death rate observed today.
The Bornean orangutan is a very slow reproductive species. Females only reproduce once every six to eight years.
This is the longest birth interval of any land mammal, so population recovery is very slow and complicated.
The survival of the Bornean orangutan is at risk
Today, there are protected populations in the forests of Borneo, the island of Sumatra, Malaysia and some of Indonesia’s largest national parks.
This makes it unlikely that the Bornean orangutan will become extinct in the near future. But even so, there is an urgent need to prevent more deaths.
It is estimated that around 10,000 orangutans inhabit the oil palm development areas, which are still covered by forest. Hunting, killing in situations of conflict between natives and the use of specimens as pets must be addressed as soon as possible through strong and concrete measures.
This would facilitate community conflict resolution and law enforcement.
In terms of conservation, it is essential to develop appropriate strategies that truly address the current population decline.
Also, more research should be done on why people kill orangutans.
