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Memindahkan Kera: Hasil Konservasi dan kesejahteraan dari penyelamatan dan pelepasan orangutan Borneo di Kalimantan, Indonesia
Abstract
Selama lebih dari 50 tahun, orangutan Borneo (Pongo pygmaeus) yang Terancam Kritis telah diselamatkan dari pemburu liar atau penangkap, direhabilitasi, dan dilepaskan ke habitat alami. Orangutan liar juga dipindahkan-secara sengaja ditangkap dari petak-petak habitat dan situasi yang tidak aman dengan tujuan untuk melepaskan mereka kembali ke area yang dianggap lebih aman. Meskipun kegiatan ini diterapkan secara luas, data tentang konservasi orangutan dan dampak kesejahteraannya masih kurang. Studi kami meningkatkan pemahaman tentang hasil-hasil ini melalui analisis penyelamatan dan pelepasan orangutan Borneo yang dilakukan di Kalimantan, Indonesia antara 2007 dan 2017. Kami mengumpulkan data tentang penyelamatan orangutan (n = 1517) dan pelepasan (n = 1219) dari laporan fasilitas penyelamatan, artikel surat kabar, dan publikasi ilmiah, dan menilai hasilnya terkait dengan rencana aksi, standar internasional untuk pelepasan satwa liar, penegakan hukum, dan populasi dan konservasi habitat orangutan liar. Tingginya tingkat pembunuhan orangutan dan kepemilikan ilegal mendorong munculnya fasilitas penyelamatan, sementara deforestasi, aktual atau potensi kemungkinan interaksi manusia-orangutan, dan kebakaran mendorong pemindahan orangutan liar berskala besar. Kami menemukan fasilitas penyelamatan yang menampung 1.112 orangutan pada tahun 2017, jumlah yang sebagian besar tidak berubah sejak 2007 meskipun dilaporkan 1219 telah dilepas termasuk 605 orangutan penangkaran dan setidaknya 523 orangutan liar yang dipindahkan. Penyelamatan belum memfasilitasi perubahan penting dalam penegakan hukum, atau mencegah hilangnya orangutan liar. Pemindahan pada khususnya menimbulkan risiko serius bagi konservasi populasi besar orangutan dan kesejahteraan individu. Perubahan substansial dalam penegakan hukum, sikap dan perilaku manusia terhadap orangutan, dan peningkatan manajemen tentang hidup berdampingan manusia-orangutan diperlukan untuk memutus siklus pembunuhan orangutan dan kepemilikan ilegal saat ini diikuti dengan penyelamatan dan pelepasan. Perubahan ini akan memungkinkan satu fokus pembaruan yang sangat dibutuhkan untuk melindungi orangutan liar di habitat alami mereka.
... Pada publikasi tahun 2017, orangutan merupakan salah satu satwa yang masuk ke dalam daftar Red List dengan kategori critically endangered (CR) dan populasinya diperkirakan terus menurun (Shermana et al., 2020). Orangutan adalah salah satu spesies kera yang berada dalam genus Pongo dengan ciri-ciri bertubuh besar dengan lengan panjang dan berbulu kemerahan (SWARA & Risa, 2012). ...
Interactive multimedia applications play a very important role as a medium for information, socialization and education. Video games as part of interactive digital applications have the opportunity to be an effective entertainment and learning medium, if designed appropriately. The casual game PongoTap can be used as a socialization medium to increase public awareness of the importance of preserving orangutan habitat. Information about orangutans in 2017, orangutans are included in the Red List of critically endangered (CR) animals whose population is estimated to continue to decline. Based on these reasons, the game concept tells the story of a young orangutan who has lost his habitat, and must go on an adventure to try to survive by finding a comfortable place for him. Pongo is the main character in this casual game. The methodology in game design uses research and development (Research & & Development). Data collection was carried out by searching for library data (supporting theories) and factual data (creation sources) and then data processing was used as a reference in preparing the game design concept. The visual appearance of Pongo Tap 2D is in pixel art style. The game is designed in 4 stages, each stage is identical with a different level regarding; gameplay, characters, and environment. The final result of the creation stage is an interactive application in the form of a video game for Android-based smartphone devices. Conclusion of design analysis; side scrolling platformer gameplay, orangutan characters, and endemic animal habitat environments.
The conversion of forest to agriculture continues to contribute to the loss and fragmentation of remaining orang-utan habitat. There are still few published estimates of orang-utan densities in these heavily modified agricultural areas to inform range-wide population assessments and conservation strategies. In addition, little is known about what landscape features promote orang-utan habitat use. Using indirect nest count methods, we implemented surveys and estimated population densities of the Northeast Bornean orang-utan (Pongo pygmaeus morio) across the continuous logged forest and forest remnants in a recently salvage-logged area and oil palm plantations in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. We then assessed the influence of landscape features and forest structural metrics obtained from LiDAR data on estimates of orang-utan density. Recent salvage logging appeared to have a little short-term effect on orang-utan density (2.35 ind/km 2 ), which remained similar to recovering logged forest nearby (2.32 ind/km 2 ). Orang-utans were also present in remnant forest patches in oil palm plantations, but at significantly lower numbers (0.82 ind/km 2 ) than nearby logged forest and salvage-logged areas. Densities were strongly influenced by variation in canopy height but were not associated with other potential covariates. Our findings suggest that orang-utans currently exist, at least in the short-term, within human-modified landscapes, providing that remnant forest patches remain. We urge greater recognition of the role that these degraded habitats can have in supporting orang-utan populations, and that future range-wide analyses and conservation strategies better incorporate data from human-modified landscapes.
Designed as a new method to facilitate the reintroduction and post-release monitoring of orangutans and other apes, implanted radio-telemetry (IRT) was developed and first deployed in 2009. Since that time, it has been necessary to collate and review information on its uptake and general efficacy to inform its ongoing development and that of other emerging tracking technologies. We present here technical specifications and the surgical procedure used to implant miniaturized radio transmitters, as well as a formal testing procedure for measuring detectable transmission distances of implanted devices. Feedback from IRT practitioners (veterinarians and field managers) was gathered through questionnaires and is also presented. To date, IRT has been used in at least 250 individual animals (mainly orangutans) from four species of ape in both Asia and Africa. Median surgical and wound healing times were 30 min and 15 days, respectively, with implants needing to be removed on at least 36 separate occasions. Confirmed failures within the first year of operation were 18.1%, while longer distances were reported from positions of higher elevation relative to the focal animal. IRT has been a transformational technology in facilitating the relocation of apes after their release, resulting in much larger amounts of post-release data collection than ever before. It is crucial however, that implant casings are strengthened to prevent the requirement for recapture and removal surgeries, especially for gradually adapting apes. As with all emerging technological solutions, IRT carries with it inherent risk, especially so due to the requirement for subcutaneous implantation. These risks must, however, be balanced with the realities of releasing an animal with no means of relocation, as has historically been, and is still, the case with orangutans and gorillas.
OPEN ACCESS HERE: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/conl.12622
The links between plantation expansion and deforestation in Borneo are debated. We used satellite imagery to map annual loss of old-growth forests, expansion of industrial plantations (oil palm and pulpwood), and their overlap in Borneo from 2001 to 2017. In 17 years, forest area declined by 14% (6.04 Mha), including 3.06 Mha of forest ultimately converted into industrial plantations. Plantations expanded by 170% (6.20 Mha: 88% oil palm; 12% pulpwood). Most forests converted to plantations were cleared and planted in the same year (92%; 2.83 Mha). Annual forest loss generally increased before peaking in 2016 (0.61 Mha) and declining sharply in 2017 (0.25Mha). After peaks in 2009 and 2012, plantation expansion and associated forest conversion have been declining in Indonesia and Malaysia. Annual plantation expansion is positively correlated with annual forest loss in both countries. The correlation vanishes when we consider plantation expansion versus forests that are cleared but not converted to plantations. The price of crude palm oil is positively correlated with plantation expansion in the following year in Indonesian (not Malaysian) Borneo. Low palm oil prices, wet conditions, and improved fire prevention all likely contributed to reduced 2017 deforestation. Oversight of company conduct requires transparent concession ownership.
Conservation benefits from understanding how adaptability and threat interact to determine a taxon’s vulnerability. Recognizing how interactions with humans have shaped taxa such as the critically endangered orangutan (Pongo spp.) offers insights into this relationship. Orangutans are viewed as icons of wild nature, and most efforts to prevent their extinction have focused on protecting minimally disturbed habitat, with limited success. We synthesize fossil, archeological, genetic, and behavioral evidence to demonstrate that at least 70,000 years of human influence have shaped orangutan distribution, abundance, and ecology and will likely continue to do so in the future. Our findings indicate that orangutans are vulnerable to hunting but appear flexible in response to some other human activities. This highlights the need for a multifaceted, landscape-level approach to orangutan conservation that leverages sound policy and cooperation among government, private sector, and community stakeholders to prevent hunting, mitigate human-orangutan conflict, and preserve and reconnect remaining natural forests. Broad cooperation can be encouraged through incentives and strategies that focus on the common interests and concerns of different stakeholders. Orangutans provide an illustrative example of how acknowledging the long and pervasive influence of humans can improve strategies to preserve biodiversity in the Anthropocene.
Pongo pygmaeus morio, a subspecies of orangutan founded east Kalimantan is steadily declining and classified as endangered. A reintroduction program was recently established. We monitored the reintroduced individuals during their first year post-release at Kehje Sewen Forest in East Kalimantan to document the adjustment to their new habitat. Here, we present a report on the activity patterns, food choice, travel height, nest-building abilities and associations of six individuals ranging between eight and thirteen years old. Our results show that all individuals survived their first year. They spent most of their time feeding and had a largely frugivorous diet, similar to wild orangutans. However, although they were able to build nests, they reused or rebuilt old nests more often than expected. They also spent 16% of their total activity time on the ground, more than expected. This information will contribute to attempts to evaluate factors affecting the adjustment process, and thus optimizing future reintroduction procedures. © 2018, Society for Indonesian Biodiversity. All rights reserved.
For many threatened species the rate and drivers of population decline are difficult to assess accurately: species' surveys are typically restricted to small geographic areas, are conducted over short time periods, and employ a wide range of survey protocols. We addressed methodological challenges for assessing change in the abundance of an endangered species. We applied novel methods for integrating
field and interview survey data for the critically endangered Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus),
allowing a deeper understanding of the species’ persistence through time. Our analysis revealed that
Bornean orangutan populations have declined at a rate of 25% over the last 10 years. Survival rates of
the species are lowest in areas with intermediate rainfall, where complex interrelations between soil
fertility, agricultural productivity, and human settlement patterns influence persistence. These areas
also have highest threats from human-wildlife conflict. Survival rates are further positively associated
with forest extent, but are lower in areas where surrounding forest has been recently converted
to industrial agriculture. Our study highlights the urgency of determining specific management
interventions needed in different locations to counter the trend of decline and its associated drivers.
Executive summary This report compares deforestation rates between RSPO and non-RSPO oil-palm estates within 2,771 palm-oil estates across the island of Borneo, and the implications of this for orangutan conservation. Out of these 2,717 estates, 20% were inactive in 2016 (i.e., no palm had been planted within the boundaries of the estates and concessions; 8.1% were RSPO members. In 2015, more than 13.3 million ha had been allocated to the mapped oil-palm estates and concessions across the island (or 17.1% of the total land mass), but only 36.2% of the mapped concessions and estates had been planted with oil-palm (4.8 million ha). 2.8 million ha (or 21.2% of the total) was still forest in 2015. We note that at this stage in the study, a significant number of estates in Sabah have not yet been reliably mapped and that the total area allocated to oil-palm is higher than the 13.3 million ha mentioned in this study. Our results show that: Total loss of intact and logged forest between 2000 and 2015 in RSPO-certified concessions and estates (815,592 ha) was 73,559 ha (i.e., 9.0% of total concession area). Total loss of intact and logged forest between 2000 and 2015 in concessions and estates that were active and non-RSPO-certified in 2016 was 1,748,123 ha of forest loss (in 10,152,756 ha of concessions and estates, i.e., 17.2% of total concessions and estates area). Annual forest loss rates in RSPO-certified areas have consistently declined after 2005 (the RSPO cutoff date for deforestation avoidance), from 13,417 ha per year between November 2005 and November 2007 to 1,839 ha per year after May 2014, whereas those in non-RSPO areas have stayed consistently higher. Overall average planted area for active non-RSPO concessions and estates (41%) is much lower than that for RSPO-certified areas (82%), probably indicating better and more efficient land management and also potentially better resolution of land conflicts. Active RSPO-certified concessions and estates retain less forest on average (4.5% in 2015) than active non-RSPO areas (10.9% in 2015), but forest loss rates between 2000 and 2015 are much higher in non-RSPO areas. Our analysis also reveals that there is still extensive overlap between oil-palm concessions and estates and orangutan habitats, especially in West and Central Kalimantan, to a lesser extent in East Kalimantan, 2 few in Sabah and apparently none in Sarawak. In 2014, we estimate that 275 orangutans were occurring in 32 RSPO-certified estates, while 9,300 individuals were found in non-RSPO estates. Between 1999 and 2014, orangutan populations in areas that are now RSPO-certified declined by 34% from 419 to 275, or about 2.2% population loss per year. In the same period, orangutan populations in non-certified concessions and estates declined by 31.0% from 13,480 to 9,302, or about 2.1% population loss per year: This suggests that the absolute loss of orangutans is significantly lower in RSPO areas on Borneo than in non-RSPO-certified areas, but that relative loss rates are about the same. Nevertheless, RSPO-certified concessions and estates are not yet meeting the target stipulated in P&C 5.2 as orangutan populations continue to decline in certified plantation areas and improvements need to be made in this regard.
Poaching for the pet trade is considered one of the main threats to orangutan survival, especially to the Bornean species (Pongo pygmaeus). However, there have been few attempts to quantify the number of individuals taken from the wild or to evaluate the drivers of the trade. Most orangutan poaching is thought to be opportunistic in nature, occurring in conjunction with deforestation for large-scale agriculture. Using data from our long-term wildlife crime field investigation program collected from 2004 to 2014, we evaluated the prevalence of orangutan poaching and its spatial distribution in and around Gunung Palung National Park, in the regencies (districts) of Ketapang and Kayong Utara, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Over the project period, investigators uncovered 145 cases of orangutans being illegally held captive for the pet trade. There was a significant correlation between the extent of oil palm and the number of cases reported from each sub-district in the landscape, supporting the widely held hypothesis that orangutan poaching is opportunistic, and we found no evidence of orangutan trading rings (i.e., international traders) targeting Gunung Palung National Park. Over the past decade, there only has been one prosecution of orangutan trading in West Kalimantan, and weak law enforcement by Indonesian authorities remains the most significant challenge in addressing wildlife trade. We offer four recommendations to address this, including that Indonesia dedicate at least $3 million more to addressing orangutan poaching and trade in Kalimantan and that the country's wildlife protection laws be revised and strengthened, with the new laws socialized to a wide audience, including government officials and all aspects of civil society. As oil palm begins to expand into Africa, this study also may help predict how this will affect gorillas, chimpanzees, and bonobos, encouraging proactive conservation action.
Despite its high cost and debatable conservation value, orangutan rehabilitation and reintroduction (R&R) continues. Drawing on qualitative research with orangutan conservationists, this paper argues that a central reason why R&R practitioners undertake this activity is a view that the alternatives, killing orangutan orphans or keeping them in captivity, are practically or ethically unacceptable. However, questions remain over whether orphans might be better off in captivity than in the wild, and why orphans appear to attract more attention and support than wild orangutans. In evaluating these questions, practitioners must weigh up obligations to individuals and larger units, displaced and wild orangutans (the former visible, and the latter abstract), and properties of orangutans such as their wildness, welfare, and autonomy. As advocates of compassionate conservation have highlighted, similar ethical dilemmas arise in the conservation of other species.