Special on Orang-utans - Interview: Dr Biruté Galdika

By Carola Frentzen Dec 20, 2006, 5:58 GMT

Pangkalan Bun, Indonesia - After the devastating forest fires that raged throughout the Indonesian rainforest in late 2006, the future of the endangered orang-utans has become even more critical. According to Canadian scientist Dr Biruté Galdikas, the great apes could be extinct within the next five to 10 years.

The world famous primatologist and author of the international bestseller, Reflections of Eden, has been studying wild orang-utans in Borneo for more than three decades.

In 1986, she founded the Orangutan Foundation International (OFI), a non-profit organization which supports the conservation and understanding of the orang-utan and its rain forest habitat while caring for individuals, previously held in captivity, as they make their way back to the forest.

Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa: Doctor Galdikas, what would you say to someone who were to ask you: Why should I care about orang-utans?

Galdikas: Orangutans are gentle, marvellous creatures. And they are important for the biodiversity of the rainforest as well, because they are essential agents for seed dispersal throughout the forest by eating and spitting fruits.

And then, of course, orang-utans are the largest arboreal animals in the world and they share 97 per cent of our DNA. Female orang- utans have a baby only once every eight years, so every single one is precious. All species are important, but orang-utans especially. I call them the 'Gardeners of the Garden of Eden.'

dpa: How would you describe the current state of conservation of the orang-utans in Borneo? Which, in your opinion, is the biggest threat to their survival?

Galdikas: The situation is absolutely dreary. And despite some successes, it is getting worse and worse. The orang-utan populations are on the edge of extinction. And at the current pace they could be completely gone within the next five to 10 years.

One of the reasons for this is that there are more and more people living in the area, and their primary source of income is illegal logging and palm oil plantations. And wherever you have illegal logging and palm oil plantations you have fires. And fires are the mechanism that is destroying the rainforest.

dpa: What about the illegal trade of baby orang-utans?

Galdikas: Many people in South-East Asia still keep little orang-utans as pets. There are probably around 1,000 of them in Indonesia alone. But this trade has gone underground since it became illegal. Basically, orang-utans face three problems: The loss of habitat; fires and trade. And all of them are intermingled.

dpa: Where does the wood/palm oil go? Who are the final consumers?

Galdikas: The wood mainly goes to China, Japan and Taiwan, which then export finished wood products to the West. You can find palm oil in almost every edible product like cookies and margarine, but also in cosmetics, soap and toothpaste. Palm oil has become a universal commodity.

dpa: What can be done to break this circle? What is OFI's strategy?

Galdikas: OFI cannot take political action. What we can do is speak to the people, speak to the loggers and explain to them the damage they are producing, not only to the orang-utans but also to the rainforests, which are the lungs of our planet.

We are currently trying to safeguard the National Park and convince the Indonesian government to establish more protected areas. Furthermore we have given work to more than 200 Indonesian people. We are supporting the local economy in a way that may have a positive impact on the forest.

Local farmers should be supported. Most of them become loggers in order to earn more money. We should find alternatives in agriculture for them, like increasing the crop diversity or the breeding of poultry.

dpa: So-called 'slash and burn' practices by local tribes have often been blamed. Do they really pose a threat?

Galdikas: No, this is a myth. The Dayak tribe has done slash and burn for 1,000 years and it never destroyed the forest. These fires don't get out of control. The only ones to blame are the timber and palm oil concessionaries.

dpa: What is the local government doing in order to help?

Galdikas: The local government in Central Kalimantan is currently implementing a new life-long VIP pass for visitors to the Tanjung Puting National Park, which will cost 1,500 dollars. People who come to visit generally build up an emotional connection to the forest and many of them come back again and again.

dpa: Is there a growing awareness about the fate of orang-utans compared to, say, a decade ago?

Galdikas: There is much more interest now. I think this is in part thanks to my book Reflections of Eden, which I wrote in 1995. At the time I went on a book tour in many different cities and reached a lot of audiences. Also the media are important.

dpa: How can ordinary people help save the orang-utans?

Galdikas: First of all, I would suggest they join a support organization. Currently there are four organizations which all grew out of OFI.

Secondly, they should go and visit the places and indicate through this that they support the protection of the forests. You have to go and experience the rainforest firsthand. In this way, local people can also earn more from increased tourism.

For further information, visit OFI at www.orangutan.org.