IN conjunction with International Orang Utan Day which is celebrated annually on Aug 19, the Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry (MPIC) has come forward to clear the air over allegations that palm oil is the biggest threat to the orangutans.
According to the ministry, some quarters even go to the extent of brandishing palm oil as an orangutan killer, with some campaigners embarking on disseminating provocative statements that include “an area the equivalent size of 300 football fields of rainforest is cleared each hour to make way for palm oil production” and “25 orangutans are lost every day”.
“While it is true that orangutans in Borneo have become an endangered species, it is also equally true that many other animal species have become endangered due to the explosion of the human population on the planet,” said Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin.
“Recent evidence revealed that hunting is among the biggest contributors to the Bornean orangutan population decline over the last 200 years.
“In Kalimantan, Bornean orangutans were often shot for its meat or as a result of human-orangutan conflict. In fact, historical data shows that the decline of orangutans was observed as far back as the 19th century, way before the start of significant oil palm development in the 1970s.”
According to Statista, changes in land and sea use in Asia Pacific make up only 43% of the factors threatening wildlife populations.
Meanwhile, more than 50% is due to species over-exploitation, invasive species and diseases, hunting, pollution and climate change.
In the research conducted by Statista, all wildlife – not just orangutans – are threatened across the world. They are not limited to other monkey and animal species that inhabit Borneo per se, but spread across North America, Europe, Central Asia, Latin America, Caribbean and Africa.
“Asserting that oil palm is the sole reason that threatens wildlife such as orangutans selectively negates the facts causing the population decrease of all endangered animal species,” Zuraida insisted.
“As a showcase that humans and nature can co-exist in harmony, Malaysia has allotted 43 sq km of protected land at the edge of the Kabili Sepilok Forest Reserve in Sabah as a rehabilitation site for orangutans.
“Today around 60 to 80 orangutans are living independently in the reserve while approximately 25 orphaned orangutans are housed in the nurseries.” – Aug 19, 2022
