Palm oil trees originated in West Africa and were brought into South East Asia in the twentieth century . Around 250, 000 tonnes of palm oil were then exported annually from South East Asia and the number has now increased to 60,000,000 tonnes. At the very beginning, palm oil was used in candles and as a lubricant for machinery. After the discovery of hydrogenation process in Europe, the demand for palm oil increased and after the World War II, it was utilized in many western food products. Palm oil is the most commonly used oil in the world. It is derived from the pulp of the palm fruit, which grows throughout Asia, Africa, North America and South America, with 85 % produced and exported from Malaysia and Indonesia. About 50 million tons of palm oil is cultivated every year, supplying 30 % of the world’s vegetable oil production. By 2020, the use of palm oil is anticipated to rise two fold with an increase in the world’s population, particularly in countries like China and India.
Palm oil is ubiquitously present in packaged foods, baked goods such as chocolates, cookies, bread, cereals, cake mixes, baby formula, Vitamin A containing milk. It is substituted for coconut oil and peanut oil in many food preparations in Indonesia and Myanmar . Owing to its longer shelf life compared to other vegetable oils, palm oil is more attractive for the production of food. The palm kernel oil extracted from the seeds of the palm fruit is a primary component used in the manufacture of soaps, detergents, shampoos, and toothpaste. It accentuates the creaminess of cosmetics and toiletries. Palm kernel expeller (PKE) is also increasingly used as a biofuel for generation of electricity . More than 60 % of the land in Africa is utilized for biofuel production. Being extremely productive, oil palm generates more oil from less land and is therefore an important source of income. Due to its high yield, high melting point and absence of unhealthy saturated fats, palm oil the most favorable oil.
Rising global demand for palm oil has driven the destruction of palm trees throughout Indonesia and Malaysia. The rainforests in Indonesia are one of the culturally richest landscapes in the world. They encompass about 10 % of the world’s plants, around 12 % of the world’s mammals, and 17 % pf the world’s bird species . Rapid deforestation is prevalent in areas for palm oil production, leading to extinction of animals such as orangutan. The numbers of orangutans have declined considerably in the last two decades due to their habitat destruction. In the last few years, Indonesia was labelled in the Guinness book of world records for having the highest rate of deforestation in the world . It is predicted that deforestation may lead to extinction of the orangutan population in the 5-10 years. The endemic species of orangutan abelii exists on the tropical island of Sumatra in Indonesia . With only 6000 animals left in the wild, the Sumatran orangutan species is critically endangered. The Leuser ecosystem is the largest ecosystem conservation area in Southeast Asia, situated between the provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra and spans across 25,000,000 hectares and contains the residual 80 % Sumatran orangutan populations. The Tripa peat swamp on the west coast of Ache is cleared and burnt away for palm oil cultivation.
Orangutan is an arboreal and frugivorous animal and plays a significant role in the dispersal of seeds. Extinction of orangutans would lead to disappearance of the tree species, particularly the ones with the larger seeds and severely affect the biodiversity. Historically, the Sumatran orangutan was prevalent across the entire Sumatran island and southwards into Java. Of the nine existing populations of Sumatran orangutan species, only seven have the potential of long term viability. WWF has focused on reintroduction of the illegally confiscated orangutans into Bukit Tigapuluh National Park. The Sumatran orangutan is particularly reliant on high quality rain forests and is less tolerant to the disturbance in habitat, compared to their counterparts in Bornea . They possess a very low reproductive rate, owing to the long time required to acquire sexual maturity and hence makes the orangutan populations extremely vulnerable to excessive mortality. This also implies that they need a long time to recover from population declines . Their diet predominantly comprises of fruits such as figs, jackfruit, lychees and occasionally they feed on eggs and small vertebrates .They obtain water from fruit as well as from the tree holes. Socially, these animals are in general solitary, although occasionally they aggregate in groups.
Threats to Orangutans
In Sumatra island, about 10.8 million hectares of land has been invested for pal oil plantations. Massive conversion of tropical rain forests into palm oil plantations is having a tremendous impact on the diversity in this region. According to the conservationists, over 90 % of the orangutans have been eliminated in the last 20 years, and is regarded as a conservation emergency by the UN.
Loss of Habitat
Deforestation for palm oil plantations is also a major cause for a change of climate. The destruction of tropical rain forests is often accompanied by burning of timber, which releases smoke in large quantities into the atmosphere. Clearing of peat swamps, for palm oil cultivation has released large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Around 66 % of the emissions contributing to the climate change emanate from 17 % oil palm plantations on the peat soil . This has led to Indonesia being the third largest greenhouse emitter in the world. The excessive smoke released is not only detrimental to the orangutan habitat, but is also setting these slow-moving mammals to fire, causing death . Orangutans inhabit the fertile waterlogged soils adjacent to the rivers, which are favored for development of oil palm plantations. The natural habitat of orangutans is disturbed due to the fragmentation of tropical rain forests . Simply constructing a road through the forests reduces the orangutan population to half. Although the other side of the forest is intact, the orangutans are hesitant to cross over and hence their populations are split into smaller groups that don’t survive for many years.
Deforestation also causes starvation and malnutrition bringing about death of these animals. Accidental deaths of orangutans may occur when the farmers try to steal the fruit crops or when they get trapped, while the plantation workers clear the forests.
Hunting and Killing
Despite the legal protection in Indonesia since 1931, orangutans are still being attacked, abducted and kept in the households as status symbols. The development of palm oil increases the accessibility of orangutans to hunters and wildlife smugglers that seize these animals and sell them as pets, utilize them for medicinal purposes or destroy them for their body parts. According to reports from WWF, there has been a considerable rise in the illegal trading of baby orangutans in the last decade. In the attempt of defending their infants, the mother orangutans are killed with sticks, guns or machetes and their babies are abducted to be sold as pets or used in wildlife entertainment parks, in countries like Thailand . Some people in Indonesia and other countries abroad are willing to pay a high price for the young orangutans. It is indeed a disturbing situation, that despite the law, sophisticated individuals such as police, armed forces and government politicians, take pride in keeping these endangered species as pets, to boost their superior status. On several occasions orangutans have been burned alive. 50 % decline in the past decade. Pet trade is a grave problem. For every orangutan that reaches Taiwan (China), 3-5 animals die in the process. At present, 80 % of orangutan habitat has been lost. The Sumatran orangutan endangered, with 1000 being killed every year. Plantation companies and organizations are faced with a dilemma, due to the fact that, although killing or abusing orangutans is illegal in Indonesia, there are no legal guidelines on how to retain and manage the orangutan populations.
Orangutan Conservation projects
Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP) is a project initiated since 1999 to prevent the extinction of Sumatran Orangutan. It began with a memorandum of understanding between the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry’s Directorate General and Pan Eco Foundation. The goal of the project is to achieve long term protection of Sumatran orangutans and protect their habitats. As a part of this programme, conservationists are geared towards protecting the wild populations of the endangered orangutans. The primary objectives of the project are to ensure that the Sumatran orangutans are completely safeguarded from destruction, to reintroduce the illegally confiscated pets, and providing a safety net to the orangutans, to increase the awareness among the Indonesian citizens about animal welfare and management of natural resources . Since its advent, over 200 orangutans have been moved to the quarantine center and about 220 have been transferred to the rainforest for reintroduction.
Confiscation
Annually, about 20 to 40 rescued orangutans enter the rehabilitation as per the international standards and guidelines . As per the current accepted guidelines for the quarantine and reintroduction of great apes, confiscated orangutans may be released in the areas where there is no existing wild orangutan population . All confiscated orangutans are also required to clear a mandatory quarantine period with no contact between the orangutans and tourists or other visitors. The main purpose of these regulations and guidelines is to prevent the risk of reintroduced orangutans competing for resources with already endangered orangutans and possibly disseminating diseases to them.
Since the SOCP was established in 1999, appropriate specialist facilities now exist that operate in full compliance with international guidelines and regulations. SOCP’s orangutan quarantine center at Batu Mbelin, North Sumatra, and the two reintroduction centers, near the Bukit Tigapuluh National Park in Jambi Province and at Jantho, in Aceh Province, are all fully equipped, staffed by experienced personnel, and operate to the highest standards. Well over 200 orangutans have now been returned to the wild as a result of this work, and two entirely new wild populations of this Critically Endangered species are gradually being established, as a backup “safety net” for the remaining wild population, increasing the likelihood that at least some orangutans will survive in Sumatra’s forests in the future.
Rehabilitation
After confiscation, the orangutans are transferred to the SOCP’s Quarantine Center in Batu Mbelin and provided with food, medical facilities and water. The site of the Quarantine center has three freshwater springs, the water of which is used for cleaning and drinking. Once the orangutans have recovered and are fit and healthy, they are slowly introduced to their fellow orangutans and taught to interact with each other.
Drone Technology
SOCP has developed innovative remote control surveillance “drones” to monitor specific forest areas, with video or photographic equipment installed . This technology enables aerial monitoring of orangutans in nests, trees, their habitat monitoring and research.
With increasing awareness about the detrimental consequences of palm oil plantations on Sumatran orangutan extinction, government is now taking their demolishment into consideration. Recent news has declared the intention of forest agencies to demolish around 1000 hectares of illegal plantations in the Leuser ecosystem on the western tip of Sumatra .
World Wide Fund (WWF) works in conjunction with other organizations like Asia Pulp and Oaoer/ Sinar Mas Group from destroying the natural forests that remain outside of the Bucket Tigapuluh National Park, in order to protect the Sumatran orangutan . It aims at assisting the Indonesian Government’s commitment from 2009 to decrease the greenhouse emissions by 26 % by 2020.
WWF also endeavors to work with the global wildlife trade monitoring agencies, to impose restrictions on the trade in live animals and products of orangutans. It also works with Indonesian non-governmental agencies to mediate the orangutan-human conflicts . They developed a guide to specify management practices that will help conservation and industry. In 2003, WWF joined hands with other palm oil producers and buyers as well as environmental agencies to create the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), which holds the mission of shifting the palm oil industry away from unsustainable practices and enabling growth of the palm oil industry without compromising any more tropical forests. RSPO is a non-profit organization formed in 2003, with the vision of addressing the negative consequences of palm oil production on the biodiversity. It was initiated with only 10 members and has expanded to about 1300 members across 50 countries till date . RSPO urges producers to avoid cultivation of palm oil on peat swamps, to minimize soil erosion and drainage of peat soils and to decrease the release of greenhouse gas from plantations and reduce pollution from pesticides. If the growers are encouraged to cultivate more sustainable palm oil as per the RSPO standards and the buyers of palm oil assist these growers by buying the certified sustainable palm oil, the disastrous loss of rainforests and the consequential extinction of the Sumatran orangutan and other endangered species can be brought to an end .
REFERENCES
Orangutans and Oil Palm Plantations. (n.d.). Retrieved from WWFglobal: http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/about_forests/deforestation/forest_conversion_agriculture/orang_utans_palm_oil/
Palm Oil. (n.d.). Retrieved from Saynotopalmoil.com: http://www.saynotopalmoil.com/Whats_the_issue.php
SOCP. (2014). Retrieved from sumatranorangutan.org: http://www.sumatranorangutan.org/aceh-fell-1000-hectares-illegally-planted-oil-palm-plantations.html
Sumatranorangutan.org. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.sumatranorangutan.org/about-us
The effects of Palm Oil. (n.d.). Retrieved from orangutan.org: http://orangutan.org/rainforest/the-effects-of-palm-oil/
What is Palm Oil? (n.d.). Retrieved from WWF: http://www.wwf.org.au/our_work/saving_the_natural_world/forests/palm_oil/
worldwidelife.org. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/sumatran-orangutan
wwf.panda.org. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/great_apes/orangutans/sumatran_orangutan/
