Today we celebrate the international day of the animal most similar to man, which threatens its survival on Earth
Today is the international day of the animal most similar to man, which threatens its survival on Earth with deforestation and poaching and which has decimated its population in recent decades.
His name means 'man of the forest' in Malay language, he lives in protected areas and parks between Malaysia and Indonesia, and his existence is seriously threatened by human action: he is theorangutan, of which today is celebrated the international day. Although its size is considerable (it is one of the largest mammals in the world) and possesses good agility, it is an animal with a peaceful nature and not at all aggressive. Due to its inability to defend itself and to be aggressive against those who attack it, the orangutan is targeted by hunters and poachers.
The orando loves to live in woods and forests and keep away from water. Its ideal habitat is therefore the rainforest, full of tall trees where you can climb thanks to its prehensile 'fingers' and create real 'nests' in which to laze for a good part of the day. It feeds mainly on fruits, leaves and flowers that it collects from trees. She does not like large communities, but prefers to create small family groups with her partner and puppies. The male, which can weigh up to 90 kg, is characterized by a reddish hair and a pronounced muzzle with plump cheeks, while the female has a darker hair. The specimens of the species communicate with each other through long vocalizations and verbalizations.
As we said, this animal it is dangerously dying out: the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has included the orangutan in its red list characterizing it as 'critically endangered'. If up to 100 years ago there were more than 230.000 specimens of the species, now it is estimated about 104.700 specimens of the Bornean orangutan and 7.500 of the Sumatran orangutan; a third species of orangutan, the Tanopuli orangutan, has just 800 specimens and represents the most endangered species in the kingdom of the great apes.
But what are the causes that are leading to the extinction of this good giant of the rainforest?
- Deforestation and habitat loss. The natural habitat of the orangutan, the rainforest, is disappearing to the advantage of pastures and fields for the cultivation of palm oil palm: fires and felling of trees (often illegal) represent the greatest threat to the survival of these animals .
- Poaching. By eliminating the habitat, the animals are more exposed to the threat of hunters and poachers, who kill them to obtain macabre souvenirs or because they consider them (wrongly!) A threat to crops and livestock; in addition, many orangutans (especially cubs) are captured and sold on the black market to end up in the hands of hunters of rare and exotic animals.
What is being done to protect them? Several centers have been created for the protection of this animal, where volunteers take care of the specimens injured by poachers and favor their mating and reproduction. But this is not enough: it is necessary to protect and protect the orangutan also and above all in its natural habitat to ensure that the closest relative to man does not go extinct forever.
Follow us on Telegram | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Youtube
Source: WWF
We also recommend:
- We "ate" the #WorldWildlifeday forests
- International day of the orangutan: we are losing the battle to save it from extinction
- The rarest monkey on Earth is on the brink of extinction, with fewer than 800 Tapanuli orangutans left
