70 percent of Indonesia's primates in danger of extinction

[News_Editor]

70 percent of Indonesia's primates in danger of extinction

2011-06-07 20:16:56 GMT+7 (ICT)

JAKARTA, INDONESIA (BNO NEWS) -- Around 70 percent of Indonesia's primates are in danger of extinction due to their illegal trade and constant destruction of their natural habitat, according to ProFauna Indonesia.

With approximately 200 different species of primates around the world, 70 percent of Indonesia's 40 kinds of primates are on the brink of extinction, ProFauna Indonesia Director Rosek Nursahid told Antara news agency.

Rosek talked on the sidelines of a campaign for preserving primates held in Malang, East Java, explaining that since 2000, the international conservation agency had published 25 different primates most seriously on the brink of extinction in the world, and it included 25 of Indonesia.

Among the 25 most seriously endangered species in Indonesia are the Sumatra orangutan (Pongo Abeli), Tarsius Siau (Tarsius Tumpara), Kukang Jawa (Nycticebus javanicus), and Simakubo (Simias cocolor), Rosek stated.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-06-07

[maidu]

Very serious to anyone who gives a hoot about unique and wonderful species that are headed for extinction. If I were a top politico in that region, saving habitat and indigenous species would be my #1 priority. Higher than commercial development and everything else.

Indonesians and SE Asians in general need to wise-up to the fact that much more revenue can be generated from husbandry of habitat and native species, rather than in plundering resources and/or development. They won't figure that out, until it's too late. By then they'll be observing more enlightened countries bringing in greater amounts of tourist money via preservation of native species. Concurrently, Indonesians and SE Asians will be looking at wastelands that were once vibrant jungles and forests.

Even in northern Thailand, where I reside, I see habitat destruction on vast scale - unabated. There's not one wild mammal for thousands of square Km's - except for a few bats and mice/rats. 100% of the larger mammals were wiped out decades ago, including all primates, all felines, all bears, all canines, all wild hoofed animals ... you name it, it's gone. In its place are rice fields, weed fields, unfenced domestic animals, untended pets and rats. Countless numbers of humans, with their trash, noise, concrete and smog - are taking over everywhere.

[maidu]

Interesting, when there's a headline about major primates' imminent extinction, there's just one response (me). Yet when there's an article mentioning of gold prices, or a politician calling his sister his clone, there are dozens/hundreds of responses. It certainly shows where peoples' priorities lie.

[WeeGB]

Interesting, when there's a headline about major primates' imminent extinction, there's just one response (me). Yet when there's an article mentioning of gold prices, or a politician calling his sister his clone, there are dozens/hundreds of responses. It certainly shows where peoples' priorities lie.

Sad but true. Agree with your initial posting, by the time these countries get their acts together, it will be too late. It's not like this is a new issue, various charities, ecological groups have been campaigning for years, but sadly materialism is the new God. To quote a song written over forty years ago, "you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone".(Joni Mitchell).