NGO: Species’ survival depends on protection of wider biodiversity systems
KOTA KINABALU: There is urgency to protect the orang utan species not only in Sabah but around the globe, said UK-based NGO Orangutan Appeal UK.
Its manager, Adrienne Powell, said protecting the species helps safeguard the wider biodiversity and natural systems.
“There is an urgency to this. Once a species is lost, we do not get a second chance.
“We have a shared responsibility to act while there is still time to protect the orang utan species and ensure future generations inherit forests in which they can continue to survive,” she said when contacted.
She said that from the NGO’s perspective, the threats facing the species are complex and cannot be reduced to one single issue because growing human populations, infrastructure, housing, agriculture and global demand for commodities all place increasing pressure on land and natural habitats across the globe.
As landscapes become divided by roads, settlements or other development, she said animals can become cut off from suitable habitat and established feeding areas, bringing them increasingly into landscapes shared with people.
“This situation can lead to the orang utan entering agricultural land, orchards or smallholdings in search of food, which can understandably create difficulties for people whose crops or livelihoods are affected,” said Powell.
“Climate change adds a further pressure, with changing weather patterns affecting forests and food availability. These issues are interconnected, which is why it is vital to find ways for people and wildlife to coexist as part of long-term conservation.”
Emphasising the importance of rehabilitation, she said centres such as the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre provide vital care for the orang utan that have been orphaned, displaced or otherwise need help.
“We can rehabilitate the individual orang utan and, where possible, give them the chance to return to an independent life in the wild, but without sufficient suitable habitat for both rehabilitated and wild populations, rehabilitation alone cannot solve the wider issue,” she said.
She said businesses operating within landscapes shared with wildlife can contribute through responsible land management, careful planning and the incorporation of conservation considerations into their activities.
More broadly, lasting conservation depends on collaboration between government agencies, conservation organisations, researchers, businesses, schools and local communities. No single organisation or sector can address these challenges alone, she said.
“Healthy forests help regulate water, store carbon, protect soils and reduce erosion, all of which offer direct benefits for people and their livelihoods.
“The orang utan themselves are an important part of the forest ecosystem, helping to disperse seeds as they move and feed through the forest.”
Powell said her organisation has supported the Sabah Wildlife Department for more than 25 years in its work on orang utan rehabilitation and conservation.
“That long-standing relationship was reaffirmed last month with the signing of a new five-year Memorandum of Understanding, providing a framework for continued cooperation and our ongoing commitment to orang utan conservation in Sabah,” she added.
