How many orangutans are killed by deforestation?
How many orangutans are killed by deforestation?
In the last 20 years, over 3.5 million hectares of Indonesian and Malaysian forest have been destroyed to make way for palm oil. Almost 80% of orangutan habitat has disappeared in the last 20 years. We are losing over 6,000 orangutans a year.
Why does deforestation lead to habitat loss for orangutans?
Deforestation and degradation of forests lead to a decrease in wildlife presence. The animals are robbed of their natural habitat and vital sources of food. Consequently, they are forced out of their natural habitat, and they become easy targets for hunters.
What caused orangutans to be endangered?
The destruction and degradation of the tropical rain forest, particularly lowland forest, in Borneo and Sumatra is the main reason orangutans are threatened with extinction. Additionally, the illegal animal trade has been a factor in the decline of wild orangutan populations.
What are the main threats to orangutans?
The primary threat to the orangutan’s habitats is deforestation for the benefit of oil palm plantations, mining, and infrastructure. In addition, forest and peat fires degrade the forests further. Over 60 percent of orangutan habitats in Indonesia and Malaysia have been destroyed in the past four decades.
Has anyone been killed by an orangutan?
A loud rumble, a scuffle and 33 long minutes of coordinated attacks by a female orangutan and her male partner led to the death of an older female orangutan in a Borneo forest, in what scientists say is the first incident of lethal aggression among orangutans ever observed by researchers.
How many orangutans are killed a day?
There are currently about 50,000 to 65,000 orangutans left in the wild, and it’s estimated that about 2,000 to 3,000 orangutans are killed every year. This corresponds to 5 to 8 orangutans being killed every day, and at this rate orangutans are very likely to become completely extinct within 50 years.
What is killing the orangutans?
More than 100,000 Critically Endangered orangutans have been killed in Borneo since 1999, research has revealed. Scientists who carried out a 16-year survey on the island described the figure as “mind-boggling”. Deforestation, driven by logging, oil palm, mining and paper mills, continues to be the main culprit.
What happens if orangutans go extinct?
If orangutans were to disappear, so would several tree species, especially those with larger seeds. The tropical rainforests where Sumatran orangutans live are also home to other spectacular species including rare Sumatran tigers, Sumatran elephants, and Sumatran rhinoceroses.
How are humans killing orangutans?
Road development, illegal timber harvesting and unsustainable logging, mining and human encroachment also contribute to habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation. Today, more than 50% of orang-utans are found outside of protected areas in forests under management by timber, palm oil and mining companies.
How does deforestation affect orangutans?
Over 50,000 orangutans on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra have died because of palm oil deforestation. Orangutans whose habitats have been destroyed often enter villages and oil plantations in search of food where they are captured or killed by farmers who treat them as pests.
Why are Sumatran orangutans endangered?
Why Orangutans Are Endangered. For the two species of orangutans found on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo in southeast Asia , mature tropical rainforests are essential to their survival. Orangutans live entirely in trees. The reason why orangutans are endangered can be summed up with two words: habitat loss.
What are threats to orangutans?
Unfortunately, there are many threats to the remaining wild populations of orangutans. Deforestation for the benefit of oil palm plantations, mining, infrastructure, illegal logging, forest and peat fires, illegal hunting, and illegal wildlife trade are just a few of the threats against the wild orangutans.
