The Orangutans Lose Their Home
The destruction of rainforests is by far the most significant threat to orangutans. 70% of timber in Indonesia is logged illegally - and the government has so far been unable to prevent it.
Habitat destruction is by far the biggest threat to the Sumatran orangutan. Remaining populations have endured losses of more than 1,000 orangutans per year during some years. This decline is largely due to the ever growing rate of both legal and illegal logging, often ultimately leading to total conversion of what forest is left for monoculture palm oil plantations. Indeed, fires started by major timber and palm oil companies as a cheap way of land-clearing, together with total forest clearance by logging concessions, are the most visible threat to Indonesia's rainforests. More than 80 % of these forests have been exploited in the last two decades. Some of the habitat loss is carried out perfectly legally, but investigations have shown that up to around 70% of timber produced in Indonesia is from illegal sources. Illegal logging fetches hefty profits with minimal investment. For this reason it attracts extremely powerful investors and supporters, not only among businessmen but also among police, the army, and within local and national governments.
Concerned NGOs, together with local governments and other institutions have repeatedly urged the National Indonesian Government to act immediately to end the deforestation, especially within the Leuser Ecosystem. The sad fact of the matter, however, is that even the government seems powerless to prevent it. Even though the Indonesian government has consistently asserted its awareness of the current catastrophe, and produced numerous decrees and action plans in support of conservation measures, the pace of destruction of the orangutan's remaining forests has shown little sign of abating in recent years - in fact in some areas it has even increased.
