Surprisingly there are only three types of orangutans, all of which are critically endangered. The three orangutans, Bornean, Sumatran, and Tapanuli are great apes found on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra in the Asian hemisphere. Their populations have dropped around
50% over the past 60 years. There are between 70,000 to 100,000 Bornean orangutans. There are about 13,800 Sumatran orangutans. And there are only 800 Tapanuli orangutans. Their habitats have been declining for over 20 years, 80% of it has been damaged and lost. The loss of habitat
is the biggest threat to orangutans, it mostly comes from loggings and land clearings. Most serious threats come from timber extraction in Indonesia and Malaysia which destroys their homes and degrades the land. Illegal pet trade also affects their population, especially since orangutans have a low reproduction rate: one child every seven years.
Orangutans are arboreal primates, so they live in trees and they move quickly by swinging around. Without these trees, they wouldn’t move around normally or have homes. Surprisingly, the orangutans help spread seeds through their defecation, since their diets consist mostly of fruits. Without the orangutans, some trees’ population would diminish. One thing we can do to help is spread awareness. Just reading this article is informing you, and sharing it can help bring this situation to light. We must share the stories of animals, and the harsh conditions that animals around the world live in. We must advocate on their behalf. We must also be smart
consumers, one way is checking ingredients of materials we’re buying. More than 50 percent of packaged foods, soap, cosmetics, and household products contain palm oil, which is what the companies make from their logging. We must choose the products that come from certified palm oil products. We can support sustainable production and slowly prevent deforestation. There is no need to be a scientist to see and address this problem, we all need to do our part, no matter how small. We must preserve the gifts that God gives us.
