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ORANGUTAN WATCHSupporting orangutan advocacy around the world |
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June 20 Sharing common ancestry with orangutans If you've looked into the eyes of an orangutan, you probably felt a twinge of... what? Awareness? Recognition? You didn't want to say anything about that, maybe thinking that others would question your sanity. It turns out that you may not be so crazy, after all. New research suggests that humans most likely share a common ancestor with orangutans. In fact, according to new evidence, we could be closer to orangutans than to chimpanzees or gorillas. Science Daily reports on research from the University of Pittsburgh and the Buffalo Museum of Science: Jeffrey H. Schwartz, professor of anthropology in Pitt's School of Arts
and Sciences and president of the World Academy of Art and Science, and
John Grehan, director of science at the Buffalo Museum, conducted a
detailed analysis of the physical features of living and fossil apes
that suggested humans, orangutans, and early apes belong to a group
separate from chimpanzees and gorillas. They then constructed a
scenario for how the human-orangutan common ancestor migrated between
Southeast Asia—where modern orangutans are from—and other parts of the
world and evolved into now-extinct apes and early humans. See Science Daily, Humans More Related to Orangutans than Chimps, Study Shows. May 16 Indonesia still hasn't authorized orangutan rescue The Center for Orangutan Protection and Nature Alert are still trying to convince the Indonesians to give them permission to rescue eight captive orangutans living in squalor. The Jakarta Globe is reporting on the standoff, but their article illustrates how the Minister of Forestry is missing the point: Tonny
Soehartono has been offered the funds and expertise to effectuate their rescue. Why won't he act? From the Jakarta Post, May 15: Forestry Ministry Called On To Help Rescue Orangutans At least eight orangutans are being held illegally in poor conditions in West Kalimantan, and are in urgent need of rescue, an animal activist said Thursday. Hardi Baktiantoro, executive director of the Center for Orangutan Protection (COP), said that his organization had already sent a letter to the Ministry of Forestry requesting assistance to rescue the orangutans. “However, we’ve still had no response.” The orangutans, he said, were being held by local residents who had bought them illegally from a number of black market traders in the province. Aged between 3 and 9 years old, the primates were living in squalid cages and could only eat what their owners gave them. According to COP, the eight captive orangutans were 3-year-old Djinggo, 5-year-olds Neng, Jojo and Jimo, 6-year-old Binyo as well as Pinky, Lupis and Lupus, all 9 years old. They were all being held in the West Kalimantan provincial capital of Pontianak, in Kapuas Hulu and Sintang districts. “For example, Jojo has to live outside the owner’s house with his feet tied to a wooden bar. And he has to drink waste water from the house,” Baktiantoro said. (More) Sean Whyte, from Nature Alert, reports that Tonny Soehartono has been offered all the money and expertise available to rescue these orangutans and, contrary to Mr. Soehartono's assertions, no one has ever suggested the orangutans should be immediately released into the wild. "What we all need is for Tonny to stop making excuses and dragging his feet on this issue, and give instructions to have these orangutans rescued and transferred to the Nyaru Menteng rescue/rehab centre," Whyte says. More as it happens... -Dawn May 01 Will Indonesian officials allow orangutans to be rescued?Sean Whyte, from Nature Alert, is working to rescue captive orangutans living in squalor in Indonesia. Here is a copy of the email I sent, with a copy to the Indonesian Embassy in Washington, D.C. If you can join this effort, email your message to tsoehartono@yahoo.com. To: Tony Soehartono, Dear Mr Soehartono, I
understand that you have been made aware of four illegally held
orangutans who need rescue. I don't understand why no one has acted. For the exact location of these orangutans, and many others like them, please contact either Hardi Baktiantoro or Sean Whyte, whose details you have. I have asked to be kept updated, and will post the updates on my website, Orangutan Watch.I have high hopes that President Obama can bring a new day of cooperation between Indonesia and the U.S., and that our countries can step up to the challenges and work together on some truly vexing issues. To that end, I truly hope to hear that these illegally held captive orangutans have been taken from their horrid circumstances and handed over to an orangutan rescue center. There can be no possible reason for not rescuing these orangutans. I will copy this message to the Indonesian Embassy in Washington, D.C. Dawn Forsythe Silver Spring, MD, USA This is Binyo, a 6 year old male who desperately needs help.  February 27 Whole Foods bans unsustainable palm oil from its products BRAVO FOR WHOLE FOODS!! The following is a reprint of an article published by Mongabay.com Whole Foods pledges to use only sources of palm oil that have been independently verified and certified to meet environmental and social sustainability criteria in its private label brand products by 2012. America's largest organic grocer has announced its products will no longer use palm oil sourced from unsustainable producers, reports the Rainforest Action Network (RAN), an activist group that has led a campaign against destructive palm oil production. The move adds pressure on the palm oil industry to develop an effective and credible certification system for palm oil. "Whole Foods Market is concerned with the social and environmental impacts of palm oil production in tropical rainforest ecosystems around the world," Whole Foods said in a statement. "Whole Foods is committed to protecting rainforests, communities and our global climate, and therefore Whole Foods has partnered with the Institute for Marketecology (IMO), a highly regarded international certification agency whose social responsibility and fair trade certification program requires successful implementation of environmental, social responsibility, and sustainability practices on the land and within the company's organization." "Whole Foods Market pledges to use IMO's reliable certification program, along with independent supply chain verification, in the sourcing of palm oil in our private label products. Whole Foods Market pledges to support the development of more sources of sustainable, fairly traded palm oil, to ensure that palm oil in our private label brand products are not sourced from the conversion of rainforest ecosystems or from companies engaged in the conversion of natural forests and/or peatlands; respect the free, prior and informed consent of interested communities and meet or exceed RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) principles and criteria." "Whole Foods Market pledges that it will only use sources of palm oil independently verified and certified to these criteria in our private label brand products by 2012. Whole Foods Market calls on our peers in the food industry to join with us in this pledge." RAN welcomed the decision. "With the statement on their website, Whole Foods Market is sending a clear signal that they do not want to be associated with the destruction of rainforests due to the expansion of oil palm plantations," said Leila Salazar-Lopez, director of RAN's Rainforest Agribusiness Campaign. "We applaud Whole Foods for their leadership and urge other companies and palm oil suppliers to add their voices to this call for change in the U.S. palm oil supply chain." In recent years the palm oil industry has been criticized by environmentalists due to a spate of reports and studies showing that palm oil production in Southeast Asia is driving large-scale destruction of rainforests and peatlands, putting rare and endangered species like the orangutan, the flat-headed cat, and pygmy elephants at risk. Further, conversion of natural ecosystems for oil palm plantations has been associated with the emissions of hundreds of millions of tons of greenhouse gases. Some palm oil producers have responded to criticism by forming the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, a certification initiative that seeks to improve the environmental performance of the palm oil industry. The effort has been slow to get off the ground, beset by infighting and controversy, but many environmentalists believe RSPO is the best hope for bringing sustainability to the palm oil industry. The Whole Foods announcement is yet another impetus for the iniative: Unilever — the world's largest corporate buyer of palm oil — has lately been particularly active in pushing for a credible certification system and dozens of food, cosmetic and consumer goods companies have signed RAN's pledge. February 12 The chains remain on Indonesian captive orangutans May 1 -- It appears to be truly good news this time. The Centre for Orangutan Protection recently posted this on their Facebook Page: LUPUS, a paralyzed orangutan got medical treatment already. The team is working to cut off the chain on Jojo's neck.Being in Washington D.C., it's hard to keep track of all the injured captives in Indonesia, so I'm not sure if this one is out of chains... but some have been saved, at least.-- Dawn A couple weeks ago I reported "good news" from BOS in Indonesia, about two orangutans that were being held captive in horrible conditions. Back then I wrote: I received word today that BOS and Orangutan Foundation International both told the Indonesian government they had space and were willing to take them. The situation has now been resolved, writes Aldrianto Priadjati, the executive director of BOS Foundation.“The orangutans have at last actually been flown to Orangutan Foundation International,” he wrote in his email message. Today's clarification from Nature Alert's Sean Whyte: "I appreciate all these orangutans can be very confusing, but the two you
mention as being rescued by OFI are in fact still in West Kalimantan.
The ones Aldrianto refers to were on the outskirts of Jakarta." -- Dawn It is fascinating, and helpful, to hear the latest news from the folks in the front lines.
Do you need objective information when making your decisions about which group to support? These resources may help.
Among the books about orangutans, these are absolute "must reads."
It's difficult to tell the true story of the challenges facing orangutans in the wild or in captivity, but these books make a good effort.
Learning takes all forms... and lasts a lifetime. Orangutan resources are scarce, but there are some.
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The biggest threat to orangutans is palm oil production, which destroys their rainforest home and food supply. Consumers can make a difference by choosing products from manufacturers that adopt orangutan-friendly policies.
Watch this space for special activities from around the world, all to benefit orangutan protection or conservation programs.
Buy a gift and support orangutan conservation at the same time!
OW encourages open access to educational materials and a free exchange of outreach ideas.
Zoos are much more than exhibits. Zoos provide education and outreach, conduct research and support conservation. When you are on vacation, be sure to stop by and meet the local orangutans!
It will take an educated public -- in Indonesia, Malaysia, and around the world -- to save the orangutans. Several groups are dedicated to outreach, education, advocacy and fundraising on behalf of orangutans.
Organizations provide rescue, rehab and reintroduction or sanctuary for abused or abandoned orangutans.
Habitat destruction is the biggest threat to orangutan survival. These organizations are contributing to the solution.
Hats off to the dedicated researchers studying orangutans in the wild or in captivity.
Several major environmental and animal welfare organizations include orangutan programs.
If you know about an orangutan event, or if you want information on how to find one, please leave a comment. |
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