Palm oil plantations orphan baby orangutans

By Matthew McDermott Hopefully you already are aware of the plight of orangutans in Borneo and Sumatra as logging and palm oil plantations continue to rapidly destroy their habitat. The rate of deforestation and habitat loss is so great that some scientists are predicting that the orangutan will be the first great ape to go extinct in modern times. Yale Environment 360 is running a piece on one interesting twist on efforts to help orangutans. There are now so many orphaned babies that there may not be enough remaining habitat to reintroduce them to the wild: Half as Much Habitat Available Compared to 20 Years Ago
The figures for habitat loss are staggering. In the past 20 years suitable habitat for orangutan reintroduction has been cut by more than 50%, encompassing less than 27,000 square miles today. Perhaps even more startling is that in Sumatra (where about 6,500 orangutan remain in the wild) since 1975 about 90% of original forest cover has been chopped down. Rhett Butler of Mongabay.com points out that there are currently more than 2,000 orangutans in various rehabilitation centers, but for every one of these at least six more have been killed or captured for the pet trade. …

Palm Oil Plantations Orphan Baby Orangutans & Leave Them Nowhere to Call Home