- Antara/ Regina Safri
VIVAnews – President Director of Indonesia’s Orangutan Habitat Restoration (RHOI), Jamartin Sihite, said that if the people are able to protect and save the orangutans, then they will indirectly save the forests, too. This is because when orangutans live freely in the forests, then the forests’ dynamics will continue to grow.
“Orangutans are umbrella species that live in tree tops. They eat, walk, and throw seeds to the ground. That makes the seeds grow,” said Jamartin in Jakarta, Feb 2nd.
Moreover, he continued, when making their nest in tree tops, Orangutans hooked tree branches, which made sunshine goes into the ground. “With direct sunlight, the forest’s surface life can grow faster. The forest’s dynamics will become better,” he said.
He estimated that Orangutan numbers have decreased by 30 percent from the total of 65 thousands habitats as recorded in 2004.
“My estimation is around that number. This is caused by the expansion and conversion of forest areas,” he said.
Economic Consideration
Moreover, a lot of people think that Orangutans are economically profitable. He said that the requirement to preserving Orangutans is by releasing them back to their original habitat, the wildlife.
“They usually take the young Orangutan, and sell them, especially when the habitat decreases. As in the situation, the value increases,” said Martin.
His team is currently rehabilitating 850 Orangutans obtained from human confines. 230 Orangutans are being rehabilitated in a rehabilitation center in Samboja Lestari in East Kalimantan and another 620 Orangutans are being rehabilitated in Nyaru Menteng in Central Kalimantan. These Orangutans will be released to restoration forest gradually.
