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Conservation
The
most dangerous enemy of orang-utan is man; who makes inroads into the
wild habitats of the orang-utan. Man shoots them for sport or out of
ignorance of their peace-loving nature. Now the orang-utan is protected
by law in all its habitat areas including Indonesian Borneo, Sumatra,
Sabah and Sarawak.
Unfortunately,
in some of these areas, enforcement of these laws is far from effective
owing to lack of finance, personnels and difficulties of administration.
Another significant threat for the continued existence of orang-utan is
the increasing pressure of the human population of Sumatra and Borneo.
Tropical rainforests are rapidly cleared for agriculture and human
settlements as the population of these areas increase. Exploitation of
these forests for timber adds new pressures to the preservation of
sufficient natural habitat for the orang-utans; putting them in constant
jeopardy.
Several
large areas have been preserved for these animals to roam under
protection in permanent wildlife sanctuaries in Sabah. The Sepilok
Orang-utan Rehabilitation Centre near Sandakan and the Danum Valley
Field Center near Lahad Datu are two such sanctuaries that have been set
aside to ensure orang-utan's survival into the next century. The primary
objective of Sepilok Orang-utan Rehabilitation Centre is to reintroduce
orphaned or confiscated orang-utan back to their wild habitat.
Special
care which includes nutrition and medical monitoring of these animals
are given at the centre. Though allowed to roam freely in the reserves,
patient supervisions by trained park rangers are required to revive
their instincts of survival in the wild which may have been lost during
their period of captivity by man. Releasing them free in the forest also
facilitate their social integration with the existing wild population in
the reserve. Since its establishment, the Centre has successfully
rehabilitate more than 100 orang-utans into the wild.
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