(MY) oang utans

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Tuesday May 9, 2006-The Star

 

Under threat

 

ORANG utans (Pongo pygmaeus) are the only great ape found in Asia.

Once found all the way from southern China to the foothills of the

Himalayas and south to the island of Java, Indonesia, orang utans are

today confined to only two islands, Sumatra and Borneo.

 

In Malaysia, wild orang utans are found only in Sabah and Sarawak. The

population in Sarawak numbers about 1,300 and almost all are in the

Lanjak-Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary and Batang Ai National Park.

 

In Sabah, there were 20,000 orang utans between 1979 and 1986. By

2003, however, the population had dropped to 11,000, of which 1,100

were found in Lower Kinabatangan. In Sabah native dialects, orang

utans are known as kogiu or kisau.

 

Their biology

 

The great apes (orang utan, gorilla, chimpanzee and bonobo) along with

lesser apes (gibbons), monkeys, lemurs and Man, are classified by

zoologists as a group called primates.

 

Apart from man, the orang utan is the largest and most intelligent

primate in Asia, and the only one which makes a nest to sleep in.

 

The orang utan is about 94% genetically similar to humans.

 

The period from conception to birth in the orang utan is about 275

days, the same as in human beings.

 

When standing erect, an adult male orang utan can reach 1.4m in height

and his hairy arms can span up to 2.4m when stretched out.

 

Orang utans feed on fruits, leaves and sometimes insects. They can

live up to 25 years.

 

Threats to their survival

 

In Sabah, the main reason for their decline is conversion of forests

to plantations in the eastern lowlands, the former stronghold of the

species. Since the 1970s, cash crops such as paddy, coffee, cocoa,

rubber and tobacco have replaced commercial logging as the source of

state revenue and jobs. Since the 1980s, oil palm has replaced other

cash crops. Hunting is a minor concern for orang utans in Sabah and

there is no evidence of any organised trade. Disease does not seem to

be a significant factor.

 

Three main features of the biology of the orang utan can help us

understand why it is threatened with extinction:

 

Orang utans can survive only in forests; mainly lowland and swamp forest.

 

They require high quality food, notably fruits. In regions where

natural fruiting is infrequent and seasonal such as hill ranges, the

population may not survive even where there is no hunting or disease.

They do eat young leaves and bark plants, but these are not their main

foods. They cannot survive for long without fruits.

 

Orang utans grow and breed slowly. It is believed that a wild female

can bear only about three youngs in her lifetime. This means that any

pressure which slows the natural breeding rate or raises the death

rate, will impact the survival of the population.

 

Sabah has five areas which are important for long-term orang utan conservation:

 

Ulu Segama-Malua: 5,000 orang utans. This site includes areas to the

east of Kuamut River, which surround the Danum Valley Conservation

Area.

 

Northern Kinabatangan: 1,700 orang utans. Comprises Segaliud-Lokan,

Deramakot and Tangkulap commercial forest reserves.

 

Tabin Wildlife Reserve: 1,400 orang utans.

 

Lower Kinabatangan: 1,100 orang utans. Comprises Kinabatangan Wildlife

Sanctuary and several small forest reserves, including Supu and

Gomantong.

 

Kulamba Wildlife Reserve: 500 orang utans.

The world-famous orang utan rehabilitation centre at Sepilok Forest

Reserve was established in 1964. It plays a crucial role in efforts to

save orang utans displaced by forest clearance and to educate people

about the urgent need for wildlife conservation.

 

However, the reserve itself is not enough for conserving the species

in the long-term.

 

 

Help us save the orang utan and other endangered animals by donating

just RM1 a day. Call River or Ruby (03-78033772). Donations are

tax-deductible.

 

Purchase Kogiu and the Banana Tree (RM23 per copy) at WWF-Malaysia

(49, Jalan SS23/15, Taman Sea, 47400 Petaling Jaya or 03-78033772).

Proceeds from the sale of this beautifully illustrated bi-lingual book

will go to WWF-Malaysia's conservation work in Sabah.

 

To support WWF-Malaysia or learn more about its projects, go to

www.wwfmalaysia.org.

 

This educational series is a collaboration between The Star and WWF-Malaysia.