Guest guest Posted February 9, 2001 Report Share Posted February 9, 2001 The Jakarta Post February 9, 2001 Primates in Riau on verge of extinction JAKARTA (JP): Primates living in the forests of Indonesia's Riau province are on the brink of extinction due to the depletion of their habitat, according to the head of the provincial Natural Resource Conservation Office, Djati Witjaksoso Hadi. Djati told Antara in Riau capital of Pekanbaru on Thursday that the population of primates, including the Kokah (Presbytis siamensis), had dwindled to between 500 and 1,000. The primates inhabit the forests of Natuna, Bintan, Batam, Galang and Rempang islands. " Rapid development in the province has partly contributed to the loss of the primates' habitat, " he said. Forests in Bintan and Batam had been turned into tourist resorts, while primates in Natuna are often captured and tamed as pets, he added. Djati pointed out that forests on Sumatra, which are included in the province of Riau, are decreasing at an annual rate of 2.5 percent. He thus urged relevant parties to take emergency measures to save the forests and the primates. Apart from the Kokah, the primates found in Riau include the long-tailed monkey (Macaca fascicularis), Siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus), Ungko (Hylobatus agilis), Kukang (Nyticebus cauang), Lutung (Trachupitecus auratus), Nokah (Presbytis femoralis) and Malu-malu (Tarsius bancanus). --- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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