are orangutans endangered
During the past decade orangutan populations have probably decreased by 50% in the wild. Although past climate shifts may have been responsible for some of this decline, orangutans are primarily threatened by human activities and development that cause the loss and degradation of their forest habitats. Currently, the IUNC has classified the Bornean orangutan as Endangered and the Sumatran orangutan as Critically Endangered. Both species are in severe decline. This means that without drastic intervention, orangutans may soon be extinct as biologically viable populations in the wild. The most recent estimates of orangutan population sizes and distributions can be found at the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Website. Now, due to deforestation and poaching, Bornean orangutans have been restricted to the island of Borneo with their population reduced to 50,000-60,000. They are currently classified on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as an endangered species. The orangutan, with its distinctive red-orange hair, is the only ape that inhabits Asia. Weighing up to 90 kg (200 lb.), the Bornean orangutan is about 1-1.5 m tall (3.5-4.5 ft.) with an arm span as long as 2.5 m (8 ft.). Boasting a Malay name meaning “People of the Forest,” orangutans share 97% of the same DNA as humans. AN ENDANGERED SPECIES. The only great ape that lives on the Asian continent, the orangutan is found on the Malaysian islands of Borneo and Sumatra. Its name means “man of the forest,” and it is one of thousands of species of wildlife that live in tropical Asian forests. Why Are Orangutans Endangered? As forest dwelling primates, orangutans are entirely dependent on the forest for their survival. Unfortunately, Indonesia and Malaysia have some of the highest rates of deforestation in the world, and logging, both legal and illegal, has seen wild populations decimated. Swinging from tree to tree, orangutans feed on fruit, leaves, bark, flowers, and insects. They travel considerable distances to eat their favorite fruits (usually unripe), knowing which ones are in season and where to find them. Each night, they build nests in the treetops with leaves and branches. 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. Finally, orangutans are occasionally hunted and eaten by some of the indigenous peoples of Borneo as well as migrant loggers and plantation workers who do not have dietary prohibitions against eating primate bushmeat. Forest conversion for pulp and paper and palm oil plantations now pose an even bigger threat, and it is believed up to 1,000 orangutans are also killed every year, either for the pet trade, for consumption or as agricultural pests.
Yes