Kutai National Park's Orangutan Conservation Area Still Under Recovery

Samarinda, E Kalimantan, Dec 9 (Antara) - The Orangutan conservation area in the Kutai National Park, East Kalimantan Province, is still under recovery following a major fire in the area in 1997-1998. "The Kutai National Park had been hit by two big fires that shocked the world: one in 1982-1983 and the other in 1987-1988. However, 14 years on, the forest, which is home to the orangutan, is still under the recovery process," noted Canadian researcher Prof. Anne R. Russon on Sunday. The orangutan population is currently growing as the condition of the national park has been improving, she explained. The Kalimantan orangutan species (pongo pygmeaus morio) in Kutai is currently facing a number of problems, added Russon, who has been doing extensive research on Kalimantan Island for the last 25 years, including four years in East Kutai District, East Kalimantan Province. The food stock for orangutans in the park has been improving, but the endangered species is facing dangers of poaching as well as conflicts with humans in plantation areas in particular, she noted. "I am very concerned about poaching and ill treatment by people. The population of orangutans worldwide is only around 40 thousand to 45 thousand. We must do our best to protect them," stated Anne Russon, who is also the Director of the Kutai Orangutan Project. "Based on my observations over the past four years, we have around 40 orangutans in this National Park, and one of them, who we have named Putri, has just given birth. The condition of orangutans in this area is good," she said. She estimated that the population of orangutans in the 198,629 hectare national park is anything between one thousand and two thousand. "This is just an estimate. We don`t know the exact number. We hope that the national park is well protected and the orangutans have ample food," she added.