I'm exhausted right now, so don't expect anything terribly insightful from me, but here are some quotes from the article that struck me deeply:
A decade. Unless more is done to stop this, there's no way these orangutans will survive.In 2002, it was estimated there were 56,000 orangutans in the wild but the population has dwindled at a rate of 6,000 a year, conservationists say. Ed Wray / APA rescued orangutan peers out of a temporary holding cage Monday in Mantangai, Indonesia.
Nearly 90 percent of their habitat has been destroyed by illegal logging and slash-and-burn farming practices. If the rate of deforestation continues, orangutans will disappear from the wild in around a decade, experts say.
The next quote lets people know what they can do:
Most of the annual dry season fires are deliberately lit by farmers or at the behest of timber and oil palm plantation companies.In other words, end the global demand for timber and palm oil, and you may save the orangutans. Doesn't sound too hopeful, does it?
Jennifer Miller is covering the disaster at the IFAW blog: - Day 1: 50 Hours to Indonesia
- Day 2: Fire in Every Direction
- Day 3: A Heartwrenching Scene
- Day 4: Releasing Pet Orangutans From Bondage
- Day 4: Dramatic Tree Rescue
Labels: emergency rescue, endangered species, environment, orangutans, wildlife
