Orangutans under threat of extinction in Indonesia
6 Sep 2008, 1234 Hrs

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Jakarta, September 6 (ANI): A news report by Jakarta Post has suggested that the population of Orangutans in Kalimantan or Borneo Island of Indonesia remained under threat of extinction, despite claims by palm oil firms of applying eco-friendly work practices.

Deforestation for palm oil plantation was blamed for the killing the protected apes, particularly those living outside conservation areas, according to Novi Hardianto, the habitat program manager of the Center for Orangutan Protection (COP).

"The forest is continuously being cleared and orangutans are killed every year. It's ironic," he was quoted by the Jakarta Post as saying.

The manager said that a recent investigation by the group show that two palm oil firms in Central Kalimantan, both of them members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), endangered orangutan populations with their clear-cutting.

But, RSPO spokeswoman Desi Kusmadewi denied the accusation, saying the RSPO sought to improve environmental practices within the palm oil industry.

The province is home to the country's largest orangutan population.

In 2004, there were 31,300 orangutans but the figure was declining by 9 percent each year, with the current population at 20,032, as estimated by the COP. (ANI)