Satellite Tracking Reveals Threats To Borneo Pygmy Elephants

The fact that destruction of forests in Indonesia affects the survival of species other than orangutans is not surprising. Destroying an ecosystem has far reaching effects on all flora and fauna that rely upon that ecosystem for life.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070809204625.htm

Of interest...

It has been awhile since the last posting...apologies to those who regularly check the blog. Here are a few links for you to peruse.

NASA images show expansion of logging in Congo rainforest -- 07/15/2007New high resolution images of logging roads in the Congo region of Africa are helping researchers understand the expansion of industrial logging in Central Africa.

Beware biofuel promises. Although, in theory, biofuel sounds as though is could solve some of our oil dependency issues, more and more information is becoming available indicating this is not the case. Additionally, some biofuel admixtures use palm oil (say it isn't so).
Corn ethanol is not the solution to energy independence -- 07/18/2007A new report claims that corn ethanol will not significantly offset U.S. fossil fuel consumption without "unacceptable" environmental and economic consequences.

And, as if gorillas and orangutans don't have enough to contend with in their struggle to survive the onslaught of anthropogenic factors...
Rare gorillas slaughtered in mass killing -- 07/24/2007At least four critically endangered gorillas have been killed in Democratic Republic of Congo's Virunga National Park. National Geographic News reports they were shot "execution-style". Illegal charcoal harvesters are leading suspects in the slaying. Two other gorillas are missing and feared dead.

Coal mining threatens the "Heart of Borneo" -- 07/25/2007Coal mining in Borneo imperils the island's fast-disappearing forests and threatens to undermine the effectiveness of an monumental conservation initiative, according to a report from the The Sunday Times and Parliamentary testimony.

More Articles of Interest

Here are a few more articles worth perusing...

U.N.: Orangutans' survival faces threat
http://www.centredaily.com/living/health/story/122371.html

Ugandan chimps threatened by massive felling of forests
Hindustan Times, June 12, 2007
http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/scripts/external.php?link=7269

Logging may wreck orangutan forests in decade-UN
Reuters, June 11, 2007
http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/scripts/external.php?link=7266

98% of orangutan habitat gone in next 15 years
mongabay.com, June 11, 2007
http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0611-indonesia.html

Rare gorilla orphaned when mother shot dead
MSNBC, June 11, 2007
http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/scripts/external.php?link=7265

Reminder!

Don't forget that Orangutan Diary is being aired on Animal Planet this evening (June 10) at 8 p.m. There will be opportunities to view this program, so check your local listings.

Continuing News about Palm Oil

Here is yet another interesting article with regard to palm oil and great ape survival. Please note, though, that when Dr. Leakey gives a time period of 100 - 200 years for the great apes to reach extinction, he is lumping all the ape genera together. Individually, the time table is much shorter.

In addition to this article, there are a number of links to prior related articles.

Great apes 'facing climate peril'
BBC News, May 30, 2007
http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/scripts/external.php?link=7230

Some Things to Know about Palm Oil

One of ACE's missions is to educate the public about issues that affect great ape survival. A serious threat to orangutans and their habitat is palm oil production. Palm oil is made from the fruit pulp or seed kernels of the oil palm (Elaeis guineensis). Because of the recent health issues attributed to trans-fats, palm oil (a saturated fat) is being used as a replacement because it solidifies (without hydrogenation) when it is removed from its natural tropical climate.

Palm oil is ubiquitous; it is found in commercially baked goods, household products, soaps, lotions, makeup and even chocolate (oh! say it isn't so!!!).

Palm oil plantations often use slash and burn clearing methods to prepare new land for planting. As the demand for palm oil increases, plantation owners seek to expand their land holdings, further destroying forests and their inhabitants. Indonesia and Malaysia are top exporters of palm oil; Indonesia and Malaysia are the only places on earth that orangutans can be found in the wild.

This issue requires a solution more complex than merely calling for a boycott of all products containing palm oil. Firstly, the use of palm oil is too widespread for a ban to be plausible. Secondly, for many Indonesians and Malaysians, harvesting this product is the only source of income. Instead, ACE urges everyone to become informed consumers. Check product labels and try to purchase items without palm oil whenever possible; however, when this is not feasible, contact the companies and ask them if their palm oil is from a sustainable yield source. You can help create a conprehensive list for others to access by sending the information you obtain to palmoil@cmzoo.org

Staff at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo have designed a wonderful site to help consumers become proactive, informed and concientious. Here is the link: www.cmzoo.org\palmoil.html

And, here is a very recent article about palm oil and its effects on orangutan populations:
Palm oil puts squeeze on Asia's endangered orangutan
Reuters, May 28, 2007
http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/scripts/external.php?link=7226

Moritorium on Breeding for Research

U.S. stops breeding chimps for research
Reuters, May 24, 2007
http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/scripts/external.php?link=7225