Illegal activity endangers Indonesian orangutan sanctuary

[News_Editor]

Illegal activity endangers Indonesian orangutan sanctuary

2011-02-18 12:20:06 GMT+7 (ICT)

JAKARTA, INDONESIA (BNO NEWS) -- As a group of rehabilitated orangutans are waiting to be released into a reserved area in Indonesia's Kalimantan, activists on Thursday stated that illegal activity in the sanctuary continues to endanger the natural habitat and its animals.

Center for Orangutan Protection chief Hardi Baktiantoro on Thursday told the Jakarta Globe that there continues to be forest crimes in the Muara Wahau district in East Kalimantan, which houses an 86,450-hectare orangutan sanctuary.

"There are still forest crimes there, from illegal logging to oil palm plantations," Baktiantoro said. "When we went down the Muara Wahau River, we found plenty of illegal sawmills, and orangutans being kept as pets."

In August, the area was designated a sanctuary and awarded to Restorasi Habitat Orangutan Indonesia, a subsidiary of the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, for a fee of Rp 13 billion ($1.5 million) over 60 years.

Baktiantoro noted that just as oil palm plantations and mining concessions are heavily guarded with military and police forces, orangutan concessions should receive the same type of protections as they are state assets as well.

After the sanctuary was designated, the group received permission to release orangutans into the wild last month, and they are expecting to release the first batch later in May.

However, with illegal activity still affecting the area, the group is worried that the same pattern will be repeated in which orangutans would have to be rescued and rehabilitated again.

He also noted that it costs around $3,500 a year to rehabilitate an orangutan, and it takes around six or seven years for them to prepare their release.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-02-18

[krading]

Back in Oz again and the first story I see in the local paper is about the plight of Borneo's orangutan being displaced by logging to clear land for palm oil plantations.

Nearly fell off my chair when the article went on to say some of the beasts were being shaved and forced into 'prostitution'.!!!

At first I thought it was a media beatup but now that I think about it, the last time I was in Pattaya strolling down walking street I think I might have seen one of them pole dancing in a bar.

At the time I thought it was a drunken Russian but now I'm not so sure.

[Steely Dan]

Back in Oz again and the first story I see in the local paper is about the plight of Borneo's orangutan being displaced by logging to clear land for palm oil plantations.

Nearly fell off my chair when the article went on to say some of the beasts were being shaved and forced into 'prostitution'.!!!At first I thought it was a media beatup but now that I think about it, the last time I was in Pattaya strolling down walking street I think I might have seen one of them pole dancing in a bar.

At the time I thought it was a drunken Russian but now I'm not so sure.

I couldn't possibly leave that unchecked, but <deleted> you are right!!

http://www.abinesh.com/delirium/posts/orangutan-prostitute/

Pony is an orangutan from a prostitute village in Borneo. We found her chained to a wall, lying on a mattress. She had been shaved all over her body.

I want to cry.

If a man walked near her, she would turn herself around, present herself, and start gyrating and going through the motions. She was being used as a sex slave. She was probably about six or seven years old when we rescued her, but she had been held captive by a madam for a long time. The madam refused to give up the animal because everyone loved Pony and she was a big part of their income. They also thought Pony was lucky, as she would pick winning lottery numbers.

Next time someone piously complains about western decadence I shall laugh in their faces.

[Steely Dan]

I really do like the euphamism in the headline 'Illegal activity'. I'm not sure whether Indonesian law is based on Sharia, but pimping out an Orangutan must surely break several laws, even 9th century ones.

[zzaa09]

The results of a mindset of mindless consumption. Progress.