Orangutan Chainsaw Massacre in Borneo
10/30/97
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Headline: Orangutan Chainsaw Massacre in Borneo
Source: Agence France-Presse
Date: 10/30/97
Copyright 1997 by Agence France-Presse
GENEVA, Oct 30 (AFP) - Indonesians used chainsaws to massacre a
large number of orang-utans during the forest fires in Borneo,
killing them to snatch their young and sell them on the black
market, the WWF said Thursday.
The local population took advantage of the chaos caused by the
fires to kill the large monkeys -- which are a protected species --
as they sat in trees seeking shelter.
"Trees harbouring frightened animals are cut down -- then the
mother orang-utans are hacked to death -- and the babies taken into
captivity for sale into the illegal wildlife and pet trade," said
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) spokeswoman Elizabeth Kemf.
Kemf said the fires, which have ravaged parts of Borneo where
the orang-utan population is concentrated, have driven people and
wildlife to compete for survival.
"Villagers, who are suffering from famine and serious
respiratory ailments, are so desparate that they are killing the
orang-utans who are fleeing the forests and foraging in their fields
and gardens," said Kemf.
"As their suffering increases, so does their resentment of
animals which they would not normally kill."
Since August several hundred orang-utans have either been killed
or died in the fires, according to WWF estimates.
Chainsaws are the hunters' most recent weapon to kill the
monkeys, said Kemf.
It had been impossible to track down the poachers as the fires
had reduced visibility to only five to 10 metres, she added.
Fires started in Indonesia last July, and sent a thick blanket
of smog over neighbouring countries, resulting in a number of
haze-related medical problems.