Today is International Orangutan Day, happy International Orangutan Day!
International Orangutan Day is on the 19th of August every year.
It is a year to celebrate these cute animals, and raise awareness about them. We can raise awareness about Orangutans on this day, to bring attention to the challenges and injustices that Orangutans face today.
These challenges and injustices threaten the very existence of Orangutans
What Threats Do Orangutans Face?
The main threat that these animals face today is the deforestation of their rainforest home.
Orangutans are only found in two areas of the world. These two areas of the world are the island of Sumatra and the island of Borneo.
Orangutans are found within the Sumatran rainforest and the Borneo rainforest. Both of these rainforests are under threat and are being destroyed.
The biggest threat to both the Sumatran rainforest and the Borneo rainforest is that they are being destroyed to make way for palm oil plantations. The rainforest is destroyed so that palm oil plantations can be put in its place, this palm oil is then used in many of the products that we consume on a daily basis - palm oil is found within many of the foods that we eat, and it's even used in toiletries that we use, for example, palm oil is found within lipsticks.
Therefore, our demand for palm oil is destroying the Sumantran rainforest, the Borneo rainforest, is threatening the Orangutan with extinction.
The Three Species Of Orangutans
There are three different species of Orangutan.
These three different species of Orangutan are 1) the Borneo Orangutan, 2) the Sumatran Orangutan and, 3) the Tapanuli Orangutan.
Up until very recently, it was thought that only two species of Orangutans existed - the Borneo Orangutan and the Sumatran Orangutan. The Tapanuli Orangutan was only announced as a new species of Orangutan in 2017; it was also announced that there were only 800 of them or fewer.
This means that the Tapanuli Orangutan is, the world's rarest ape.
Sadly, not long after these animals were announced as a new species that they were in trouble. As in 2019, it was announced that a hydroelectric dam threatened to wipe out the Tapanuli Orangutan. Sadly, this isn't the only threat to these animals, as in April 2020, it was announced that COVID-19 also threatens Tapanuli Orangutans. Tapanuli Orangutans are particularly vulnerable to extinction because of their very low population.
Out of all three of the Orangutans, the Tapanuli Orangutans are the rarest and most at risk of extinction today.
Below is a list of all three Orangutan species, their conservation status, and their population:
. Tapanuli Orangutan
Their conservation status: critically endangered
Their population: 800 individuals
. Sumatran Orangutans
Their conservation status: critically endangered
Their population: 13,846
. Borneo Orangutans
Their conservation status: critically endangered
Their population: 104, 700
Today, all three species of Orangutans are critically endangered.
The Other Threats Orangutans Face
It's not just dams and deforestation which threatens Orangutans, there are also other threats which threaten these animals.
Other threats Orangutans face are:
. Being hunted, and
. the illegal wildlife trade
Protecting their forest home can help us to protect the Orangutans.
Why We Should Save Orangutans
Orangutans are one of our closest living relatives; they are our cousins.
Orangutans are very similar to us, they are so similar to us that Orangutans share 97% of our DNA. It is for perhaps this reason, that Orangutans are known as 'man of the forest'. They are also known as the 'gardeners of the forest' as they play a vital role in the rainforests in Borneo and Sumatra.
Orangutans deserve a special place in our hearts.
They are adorable, intelligent, and magical - they make the rainforests come alive through their charismatic presence and unique looks.
If there are no rainforests, then there will be no Orangutans.
We are running out of time to save their rainforest homes. The Sumatran rainforest is disappearing due to palm oil plantations and illegal logging and the Borneo rainforest also is disappearing because of palm oil plantations and illegal logging. But, you can help stop deforestation and help Orangutans.
You can help Orangutans by adopting one with the WWF - here!
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