Study: Orangutans May Die Out In 20 Years

[cosmichedgehog]

Twilight_Star Posted: Sep 30 2003, 10:30 AM
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Habitat destruction by illegal loggers could mean the extinction of orangutans within 10 to 20 years, a Harvard researcher studying the apes said.

Logging has been increasing in recent years, moving away from the river edges into the interior of the forests where the orangutans live, Cheryl Knott said in a telephone interview on Monday.

Knott studies orangutans in Indonesia's Gunung Palung National Park, home to about 2,500 of the animals, about one-tenth of those in the world.

Orangutans live only in Indonesia and Malaysia, said Knott, whose work is sponsored by the National Geographic Society.

While the government of Indonesia has a commitment to protect orangutans, sending in national police periodically, the loggers return when the police leave, she said.

Knott said she hopes to raise awareness internationally "that we really do have a crisis here.... We could wake up in 20 years and they would be extinct."

Orangutans, like other great apes, are close relatives to humans. Researchers have learned a lot about them in recent years.

Knott said one colony was observed to use primitive tools, a skill passed on to their offspring. And she said the group she studies makes unique sounds under some circumstances.

Orangutans are almost totally arboreal, living in the trees, traveling through the trees and eating fruit from the trees, she said.

She said several hundred trees have been removed in her study area. Loggers cut them into manageable logs with chain saws, drag those logs to a nearby river and float them to market.


G2K Posted: Sep 30 2003, 11:09 AM
well at least theres lots in zoos if the worst happens
but this is the real conservation battle
protecting habitat
animals in zoos ready for re-introduction cant be released unless we maintain there habbitat as it is

Capt.Rutlinger Posted: Sep 30 2003, 11:57 AM
are they also cutting down trees inside the national park? 8O


Save_The_Mop Posted: Sep 30 2003, 12:29 PM
The same thing is also happening to tigers...Poor Orangs...They're so smart and so much like us.No wonder they're called the old men of the forest.It'd be sad if in a few years,if I still have zoo tycoon then,I play it and see orangutangs in there and say "I remember when those still lived in the wild".

Wolfyu Posted: Sep 30 2003, 02:29 PM
Not Orangs too. Man, these loggers need to be stopped! At least Zoos will help out in the future. *sighs*

Juggernaut Posted: Sep 30 2003, 03:45 PM
Are they taking into effect that they're breeding in those nature preserves they're still wild in there and they're release more every so often and what if in 20 years orangutan habitat and population explode and gets off the endangered species list


Crocsrule Posted: Sep 30 2003, 09:59 PM
I think they say that all the time. Something will die in blank amount of years. Really they'll be surviving and the loggers will be stopped.

Raindragon Posted: Oct 1 2003, 01:24 PM
I hope so I love orangs, they're cute and intelligent - a pleasure to watch!

firelupe Posted: Dec 18 2003, 04:57 PM
Don't hate me for this,but I don't care about the Orangs!!I hate monkeys!All kinds of 'em.Please don't hate me for this.

Kandula_the_elephant_11 Posted: Dec 21 2003, 06:27 PM
I will be 32 when orangutan become extinct


Blackhorse Posted: Dec 31 2003, 06:00 AM
firelupe why do you hate primates?

Wolfyu Posted: Jan 7 2004, 07:01 PM
QUOTE
Don't hate me for this,but I don't care about the Orangs!!I hate monkeys!All kinds of 'em.Please don't hate me for this.



Orangutans are not monkeys. They are apes.

But we don't hate you. Everyone has an oppinion. But at least be helpful to them! It's like some giant roaring monster comming and blowing up all of our houses and buildings. Poor orangutans...


Capt.Rutlinger Posted: Jan 8 2004, 12:23 PM
yeah it's not because you don't like an animal that you do not have to care about it.
but still nobody has anwered my question: Are they also cutting down tree's in the national parks or other animal refuges?


Wally Posted: Jan 8 2004, 01:01 PM
Thats why I stop killing musquitos!
You dirty massmurderes!

Who says they will be extinct if we clone and care and make new forests and stuff?


J. Mand Posted: Jan 15 2004, 12:31 PM
It's messages like this that really make me pessimistic...

I hope some people will have enough heart left in them to do something about this, else we, the youth, will have to live as grownups in an urangutan-less world. I don't share Firelupes' opinion, but there are some primates that I do hate...

Okapi_07 Posted: Jan 18 2004, 08:53 PM
they recently got a pair of sumatran orangs at the Columbus Zoo that hopefully will breed but they dont seem to be very compatable yet the male follows the female around but she runs and when she cornered she hits him and runs so more (its acctually pretty entertaining) and then she curls up in a ball on the ground and covers up with a burlap sack and camoflauges herself like a rock hopefully they are become closer when theyre in their smaller indoor exhibit over the winter it would be really cool if they had a baby