The Great Ape Debate: It is well known that Orangutan numbers have plummeted over recent years, mainly as a result of the spread of monocultures, particularly oil palm. The destruction of huge areas of Orangutan habitat is now seriously threatening the species with extinction. So how best to ensure the survival of the “person of the forest” (the literal translation of ‘Orangutan’)?
This debate focused on the controversy surrounding Orangutan conservation and whether rehabilitation and reintroduction of rescued captive animals is a viable way of conserving Orangutans or would resources be better spent on the purchase, protection and recreation of their natural habitats? Experts are divided in their opinions, and this forum, consisting of conservation experts, scientists and local conservationists, pooled their views and opened the debate to the floor in what was an intriguing and lively discussion. The issues raised were also relevant to the conservation of other species. The debate was chaired by The Earl of Cranbrook, with Dr David Chivers (Cambridge University) and John Burton (World Land Trust) introducing the discussion.
This debate was convened, and held jointly, with the World Land Trust (WLT), an international conservation charity with a twenty year track record of raising funds for land purchase working through in-country project partners. WLT’s Orangutan Appeal, launched in 2008, has successfully raised funds to save important forest habitat in the Lower Kinabatangan Floodplain of Sabah. To find out more about this, and other WLT projects, go to www.worldlandtrust.org.