SAVING THE ORANGUTAN
London, 26/3 (ANTARA) – An international campaign to save the Orangutan is
underway in Britain where consumers are being discouraged from consuming products
that contain elements of palm oil grown in Malaysia and Indonesia. Several British
charities that focus on the protection of the orangutan launched the campaign by
encouraging well-known British and overseas supermarket chains including ASDA,
Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose to stock and sell products only with the label
‘Orangutan Friendly’
“This is at least one positive step that we can take”, said the Director of the Orangutan
Protection Centre of Indonesia, Hardi Baktiantoro and Sean Whyte from Nature Alert in
an interview with ANTARA in London on Monday.The presence of Hardi Baktiantoro
who will be in Britain until 28 March, is to speak out and attempt to get international
support in respect to wildlife protection and in particular the preservation of the orangutan.
“I am convinced that International support is necessary just as it is in the case of stopping
illegal logging”, said Hardi who since March last year has focused his efforts on saving
the orangutan while working for the Centre of reintroducing the orangutan to their natural
habitat in NyaruMenteng in Central Kalimantan. Hardi recounted his experience with
working to eliminate the illegal trading of animal wildlife. “At that particular time I was
deeply involved in the illegal trading of wildlife; particularly in the international trading
of orangutan species”, he said.His handling of cases of smuggling from and between such
countries as Thailand, Taiwan, the Philippines and Saudi Arabia brought he and Sean
Whyte together. At the time, Sean was already campaigning for the preservation of the
Orangutan. Sean Whyte explained that the orangutan is extremely popular and well-liked
among British society. What is even more of concern to the British public is the
indiscriminate clearing of jungle areas for palm oil plantations which has put the
orangutan at such risk.. As a result, together with charities and other social organizations
which focus o the preservation of the orangutan, he launched a massive campaign which
involved sending letters to various supermarkets, encouraging them not to stock or sell
products whose ingredients include palm oil.
Hardi explained how the orangutans bleed to death, how their bones are shattered and
their heads are mangled after being repeatedly struck with metal bars by plantation
owners and workers.He added that throughout 2006, as many as 300 orangutans had been
treated at the reintroduction centre and it is estimated that 1500 more may have been
killed in their habitats.
Palm Oil Expansion
According to Hardi, the situation is exacerbated by the difficulty in locating areas in
which the recovering orangutans can be released back into the wild since more and more
areas are being cleared for the palm oil plantations.
“I estimate that the slaughter of orangutans will continue” , he said and added that
whatever can be done to help the injured animals from the plantations is like mopping up
the water when the tap is leaking. Hardi has taken the decision to do whatever he is
capable of in trying to put an end to the ever expanding areas of palm oil plantations
which are responsible for the clearing of jungle areas. “This is simply the only way to
deal with this issue, despite the dangers of personal retaliation by those who have vested
interests in the palm oil business”, he added.
Hardi, who established the Centre for the Protection of Orangutans, is pushing on to
protect and serve the best interests of the orangutan. “If the international community
demands palm oil’s accountability on this issue, naturally Indonesia will have to take
action. This is simply the only way forward.”
