Orangutan Fare Grim Fate After Fleeing Smoke-filled Habitats
10/26/97
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Headline: Orangutan Fare Grim Fate After Fleeing Smoke-filled Habitats
Source: Agence France-Presse
Date: 10/26/97
Copyright 1997 by Agence France-Presse
JAKARTA, Oct 26 (AfP) - More than a hundred orangutan are
believed to have been abused or killed by locals in the Indonesian
province of East Kalimantan since forest fires have consumed their
natural habitats, a report said Sunday.
Dr. Willie Smits, an expert from the Forestry Ministry, said 120
orangutan had been abused and killed by local residents in the past
four months, some out of fear and others for commercial purposes,
Suara Pembaruan reported.
"I have to check on the 120 number as I myself have yet to
receive a report," Heru Basuki Sukiran, the head of the province's
forestry department, told the afternoon daily.
Smits could not confirm how many of the 120 had been killed but
said the trend was on the rise as the animals continued to flee
their habitats that have been inundated by smoke coming from nearby
forest fires.
He described the situation as "very sad" and appealed to locals
not to tease or attack the animals, whom he called "harmless."
Orangutan, especially babies, can bring up to 350,000 rupiah
(100 dollars) in the East Kalimantan capital of Samarinda and in
neighboring large cities.
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