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Posted: 12th October 2023

Bornean orangutans still in danger of illegal killings
Interviewees reported that orangutans may be killed by humans because they want to protect their crops, or take infant apes to keep as pets.
The critically endangered species continue to decline.

New research has revealed that, despite ongoing conservation efforts and animal welfare laws, orangutans in Borneo are still being killed illegally.

The study, conducted by PhD candidate Emily Massingham of the University of Queensland, was investigating why the population of the critically endangered mammal was continuing to decline, despite conservation efforts to save the species.

The last time the state of Bornean orangutans was studied was 15 years ago, which Ms Massingham says had since prompted commendable efforts by Indonesia to reduce the loss of the orangutan’s habitat. However, the latest study has found that orangutan numbers have dropped by 100,000 in recent decades, leaving fewer than 100,000 animals in Borneo.

To discover why, Ms Massingham led a team of researchers in conducting face-to-face interviews in villages across the Bornean orangutan range in Kalimantan. The team visited 79 villages in the area, and completed 431 interviews with people.

30 per cent of the villages visited reported that orangutans had been killed by people in the last five to 10 years. However, since the practice is both illegal and taboo, Ms Massingham says it is difficult to get an accurate representation of the true situation.

Orangutans have long lifespans and breed very slowly, which means that the death of adult apes can be especially detrimental to their population levels.

The interviews revealed some of the situations that have resulted in the killing or displacement of orangutans in the area. Interviewees reported that orangutans may be killed by humans because they want to protect their crops, or take infant apes to keep as pets.

Ms Massingham says that, despite Indonesia’s efforts to prevent habitat loss, conservation efforts are not doing enough to reduce the human killing of orangutans. She believes that there is an urgent need to improve the collective approach to the conservation of orangutans.

Emily Massingham said, “Working with communities and collaborating across disciplines and projects will be key.

“Conservationists need to work closely with individual villages to understand their needs and perspectives, identify the social drivers of killing of orangutans and implement solutions that reduce human-orangutan conflict.”

The full study can be found in the journal Conservation Science and Practice.

Image © Shutterstock



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