Beyond the headlines
How much are palm oil plantations to blame for orangutan declines?
A RECENT BBC DOCUMENTARY HIGHLIGHTED THE WORK OF CONSERVATIONISTS RESCUING ORANGUTANS, BUT THERE ARE MUCH BETTER WAYS TO SAVE THE RED APE, SAYS ERIK MEIJAARD.
Why are orangutans declining? Conversion of primary forest to palm oil and paper pulp forest plantations is one reason, but this is only responsible for about nine per cent of loss of abundance in orangutans on Borneo. The biggest driver is hunting for food and killing as a result of human-wildlife conflict, but no one wants to talk about this.
Does rescuing orangutans help?
Not really – our research suggests we’ve lost 100,000 orangutans in Borneo over the past 16 years and saved perhaps 1,000 through translocations and rehabilitations. Of those currently in captivity, we estimate about 1,500 might be released over the next 10 years – but we are losing 6,000 a year.
Could orangutans go extinct?
Orangutans are not going extinct any time soon, but they are in very steep decline. It’s not just about extinction, anyway: the loss of 100,000 animals over 16 years is significant.
So, what should be done about it?
We need to stop deforestation and hunting. Donors need to demand from projects they give money to that they are having a net positive impact – not just that they have saved 50 orangutans but that they’ve saved a particular area that would otherwise have been converted to a timber or palm oil plantation.
Anything else?
If you really want to save orangutans, it would be better to focus on bearded pigs. Local communities care much more about pigs because they are a major source of protein, but they are declining too because of deforestation and overhunting. If you can stop both of these from happening, you’ll help save orangutans as well.