WWF and BOH tea plantation is now organizing a "Save the Orangutans Campaign" . My friend and I have join this campaign and plan to organize a few activities targeting school children. The purpose of this event is to create awareness among the children themselves to save the orangutans. Orangutans popularity is now considered as endangered species as their habitat had been destroyed mostly .
Background of Orangutans
Asia’s only great ape, the orangutans or ‘man of the forest’ is found only on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. Globally classified as endangered due to their habitat being destroyed, fragmented and poaching . Their habitats mainly tropical rain forests have been converted into plantations area causing the loss of habitats of orangutans . There are 3 subspecies of orangutans , that is :
In Sarawak, there are about 1,300 orangutans,which can be found in :
* Lanjak-Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary
* Batang Ai National Park
In Sabah, there were five main areas of special importance with a total of 20,000 orangutans in the mid 1980s . However by 2004, the orangutans population in Sabah had dropped to about 11,000 individuals . This decline in their numbers in the last twenty years was caused by planned conversion of forests to plantations in the eastern lowlands.
Physical and species description
* brown and rust-coloured shaggy fur
* female orangutans grow to about 1.1 m in height and weigh 30 - 50 kg
* Males weigh 50-90 kg and stand 1.2 - 1.5 m tall.
Ecology, Habitat & Distribution
Fruit eater sleeps in new nest every night
The arboreal orangutans lives up in trees where they bend twigs and small branches together to make a large nest-platform for sleeping. They are the largest tree dwelling mammal in the world. Adult orangutans are shy , solitary animals and are active during the day . Orangutans are not territorial, maintaining a loose relationship in a given area although adult males are hostile to one another. Crowding may cause them to fight over the limited supply of fruits. An adult female gives birth about once every six years.
Diet
Omnivorous, orangutans eat both plants and animals but feed mainly on fruits, young leaves, bark and insects. The favorite food of orangutans are fruits .
Threats
Destruction of natural forests and unreliable food sources
Wild orangutans populations need a reliable source of a variety of fruits and young leaves to survive. They can survive only in extensive natural forests. This gentle ape can survive only in lowlands - where fertile soils and constant water availability allow steady food production . There is little point in putting orangutans where they have historically not existed, as lack of food supply may eventually cause them to die. There are six areas in Malaysia with quite large populations of orangutans . However, there is always the risk that one or more populations could be devastated by disease, drought or fires.
Maintaining natural forests with viable wild breeding populations and restoring degraded forests is vital for the continued survival of orangutans in Malaysia. Hence, the Sabah government’s initiative to retain the largest orangutans population in the Ulu Segama-Malua Forest Reserves under sustainable forest management (SFM) deserves full support. The Deramakot forest management model, which produces controlled amounts of timber for international auction, certified according to international standards since 1997, shows what can be done. SFM could reduce forest damage and provide enough time for the forest to regenerate. In SFM, reforestation is necessary to ensure the forest rehabilitation or restoration take place in any sustainably managed forest. In the Lower Kinabatangan, various isolated forest patches need to be joined through restoration.
Background of Orangutans
Asia’s only great ape, the orangutans or ‘man of the forest’ is found only on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. Globally classified as endangered due to their habitat being destroyed, fragmented and poaching . Their habitats mainly tropical rain forests have been converted into plantations area causing the loss of habitats of orangutans . There are 3 subspecies of orangutans , that is :
- Pongo pygmaeus pygmaeus (northwest populations)
- Pongo pygmaeus morio (northeast and east populations)
- Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii (southwest populations)
In Sarawak, there are about 1,300 orangutans,which can be found in :
* Lanjak-Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary
* Batang Ai National Park
In Sabah, there were five main areas of special importance with a total of 20,000 orangutans in the mid 1980s . However by 2004, the orangutans population in Sabah had dropped to about 11,000 individuals . This decline in their numbers in the last twenty years was caused by planned conversion of forests to plantations in the eastern lowlands.
Physical and species description
* brown and rust-coloured shaggy fur
* female orangutans grow to about 1.1 m in height and weigh 30 - 50 kg
* Males weigh 50-90 kg and stand 1.2 - 1.5 m tall.
Ecology, Habitat & Distribution
Fruit eater sleeps in new nest every night
The arboreal orangutans lives up in trees where they bend twigs and small branches together to make a large nest-platform for sleeping. They are the largest tree dwelling mammal in the world. Adult orangutans are shy , solitary animals and are active during the day . Orangutans are not territorial, maintaining a loose relationship in a given area although adult males are hostile to one another. Crowding may cause them to fight over the limited supply of fruits. An adult female gives birth about once every six years.
Diet
Omnivorous, orangutans eat both plants and animals but feed mainly on fruits, young leaves, bark and insects. The favorite food of orangutans are fruits .
Threats
Destruction of natural forests and unreliable food sources
Wild orangutans populations need a reliable source of a variety of fruits and young leaves to survive. They can survive only in extensive natural forests. This gentle ape can survive only in lowlands - where fertile soils and constant water availability allow steady food production . There is little point in putting orangutans where they have historically not existed, as lack of food supply may eventually cause them to die. There are six areas in Malaysia with quite large populations of orangutans . However, there is always the risk that one or more populations could be devastated by disease, drought or fires.
Maintaining natural forests with viable wild breeding populations and restoring degraded forests is vital for the continued survival of orangutans in Malaysia. Hence, the Sabah government’s initiative to retain the largest orangutans population in the Ulu Segama-Malua Forest Reserves under sustainable forest management (SFM) deserves full support. The Deramakot forest management model, which produces controlled amounts of timber for international auction, certified according to international standards since 1997, shows what can be done. SFM could reduce forest damage and provide enough time for the forest to regenerate. In SFM, reforestation is necessary to ensure the forest rehabilitation or restoration take place in any sustainably managed forest. In the Lower Kinabatangan, various isolated forest patches need to be joined through restoration.
Posted by : Caylie
No comments:
Post a Comment