MPOGCF INITIATIVES TO PROTECT ORANGUTANS

A SMALL brown figure strides defiantly towards a towering industrial digger, desperately trying to beat the machine away to stop it from tearing down its home in Borneo’s rainforest.

This heartbreaking battle between an orangutan and the menacing digger was featured in an episode of BBC’s docuseries Climate Change: The Facts narrated by renowned naturalist Sir David Attenborough that presents the damaging effects of climate change which include deforestation, whereby large areas of rainforest are cleared and replaced with agriculture.

Categorised as “critically endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the population of Borneo orangutans is estimated to be 104,700 due to loss of habitat, human-wildlife conflict, and illegal hunting for the pet wildlife trade.

Suffice to say, humans pose the greatest threat to orangutans’ survival.

Orangutans are large apes that have been around for generations and are divided into three species – Borneo (Pongo pygmaeus), Sumatran (P. abelii) and Tapanuli (P. tapanuliensis).

The Borneo orangutan inhabits forest areas in the Borneo archipelago, while the Sumatran and Tapanuli orangutans are indigenous to areas north of Sumatra.

The Borneo orangutan has a significant connection to Malaysia because this species inhabits forest areas in Sabah and Sarawak.

Besides being associated with local customs and culture as well as local community activities, Borneo orangutans are also associated with oil palm plantations.

The name orangutan is a Malay word that translates to “people of the forest” because they have human-like features and share 97% DNA similarity with us.

Orangutans spend 90% of their time in the treetops looking for food including fruits, insects, tree barks, young leaves and even eggs.

Thus, deforestation is highly damaging to orangutans.

For the love of orangutans

World Orangutan Day: The Other Malaysians is an on-going awareness campaign to inspire people to take action in safeguarding this amazing creature, which has gone from endangered to critically endangered.

According to Donna Simmon’s study published by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in 2019, the orangutan population in Sabah has been stable for the past 15 years.

However, the same study – which was a survey of orangutan nests that began in May 2014 and ended in March 2017 – also found that the fragmented population of orangutans in forest areas surrounded by oil palm plantations has shown a downward trend.

Therefore, the Malaysian palm oil industry has taken great measures to halt the declining number of orangutans that inhabit forest areas near oil palm estates.

The Malaysian palm oil industry, through the Malaysian Palm Oil Green Conservation Foundation (MPOGCF), has launched several initiatives focusing on Borneo orangutans in Sabah for the preservation and protection of this species:

> 1 Million Tree Planting – Restoring Orangutan Habitat: This significant campaign is a collaboration between MPOGCF, the Sabah Forestry Department and the Kampung Tampenau local community whose role is to supply high-survival rate seedlings for this 10-year mega project.

One million local, fast growing forest trees of various species are being planted within the Ulu Segama-Malua Forest Reserve in Lahad Datu, where a 2,500ha area provides crucial habitat for orangutans and pygmy elephants.

> Wildlife Rescue Unit: MPOGCF founded and funds the Wildlife Rescue Unit which actively saves wild creatures – including orangutans – in Sabah.

The unit has rescued, treated and released 61 orangutans into their natural habitat between 2010 and 2020.

> Population survey: MPOGCF is furthering a study carried out by WWF in 2017.

In collaboration with the Sabah Wildlife Department and non-govermental organisation Hutan, MPOGCF is sponsoring a research project to survey the orangutan population in Sabah.

The project is estimated to take two years and will commence end of 2023.

> Zoo Negara sponsorship: MPOGCF is actively involved in conserving the in-situ orangutan species via a collaboration with Zoo Negara.

The foundation has sponsored RM1.1mil for upgrading the Bornean orangutan enclosure at Zoo Negara.

All of the abovementioned efforts demonstrate the commitment shown by the Malaysian palm oil industry in conserving the increasingly endangered Borneo orangutans, as well as the sector’s transformation to become more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

You can make a difference

One person’s kindness can save a life. Accumulated efforts, some of which can even be carried out from the comfort of home, can save orangutans from extinction.

No matter the sum, one’s donation can give orangutans in Sumatra and Borneo the best chance of survival.

Contributions – which are tax deductible – can support MPOGCF’s conservation efforts including critical habitat protection, maintaining orangutan care centres, and, rehabilitation, translocating and release programmes.

You can also volunteer your time to work hands-on at an orangutan sanctuary – caring for rescued orangutans, research work, and raising funds for conservation efforts.

Becoming an adoptive parent of an orangutan will also help in ensuring the “child” would have everything it needs until it’s safe to be returned to the forest.

If the orangutan can’t be released due to complications, the “child support” from public donations will be of great help to cover the costs of their care at a sanctuary.

Another step one could take is to shop sustainably, only opting for cooking oil certified by the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MPSO).

Proceeds will be partially channelled to the relevant parties to conserve biodiversity in Malaysia, which includes the dwindling orangutans.

Additionally, participating in events such as World Orangutan Day will greatly help in spreading awareness about the primate’s plight.

To know more about MPOGCF, go to www.mpogcf.org/worldorangutanday