JAKARTA - Commission IV of the House of Representatives encourages the Government to increase efforts to conserve orangutan habitat in various regions in Indonesia. This is important considering that the area of forest that is a primate habitat continues to decrease.
"To all Indonesian people, especially animal lovers, I wish you Happy World Orangutan Day 2022. Let's save and keep orangutans for a better ecosystem," said Member of Commission IV DPR, Daniel Johan, Friday, August 19 through an official parliament statement.
According to him, orangutans as unique and iconic endemic animals of Indonesia must be maintained. Moreover, said Daniel, the habitat of the great apes is very limited, namely only on the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan.
"Currently the orangutan population is increasingly threatened due to excessive land clearing, causing fragmentation of orangutan habitat," he said.
Indonesia has three species of orangutans, namely the Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii), the Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) and the Tapanuli orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis). Orangutans are protected animals under national law based on Law Number 5 of 1990 concerning Conservation of Biological Natural Resources and Their Ecosystems.
World Orangutan Day 2022 is celebrated every 19 August.
Daniel also highlighted the status of the three orangutan species on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened World Animals. In fact, orangutans have an important role in maintaining forest regeneration, namely as seed dispersers.
"The orangutan's habitat is getting narrower because the forest area where they live is used as oil palm plantations, mining and illegal logging," said Daniel.
"It is not uncommon for conflicts with humans to occur so that orangutans are injured and even killed," added Daniel.
For this reason, the legislator from the West Kalimantan electoral district asked the government to prepare an Ecosystem-Based Spatial Plan in various orangutan habitat areas. That way, according to Daniel, orangutans can be better protected.
"Government cooperation with forest cultivators also needs to be increased so that the private sector can play a more role in saving the environment where orangutans live," he said.
Daniel also appealed to the people who live around the orangutan habitat area to be involved in efforts to maintain the survival of the orangutans.
"Don't let Indonesia lose this small number of animals. I think the orangutan conservation program in order to maintain the sustainability of the natural cycle in our tropical forests should be further promoted,” said Daniel.
Furthermore, Commission IV of the DPR RI which is in charge of forestry and environmental affairs considers that there needs to be more security guarantees for orangutans through legal products. Because Daniel sees the current legal umbrella is not optimal.
"Legal bondage against perpetrators of hunting, trafficking, killing and ownership of orangutans is still weak and has not been effective in providing a deterrent effect," said the animal lover figure.
Daniel said that reports of increasingly massive cases of crimes against orangutans must be addressed immediately.
“These primates are hunted a lot because they are considered pests by the community around their habitat. Orangutan babies are also widely traded illegally and this is a crime. We must be firm against every crime against orangutans," he said.
On the other hand, Daniel appreciates various parties who help save and preserve orangutans. Both from NGOs, academics, and other elements of society.
“Let us pledge to protect all the remaining orangutans and give them the attention and care they deserve. Save the orangutans," Daniel concluded.
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