THE orang utan is said to have roamed Peninsular Malaysia in the past, yet the primate, which is closely related to man, no longer dwells in this part of the country.
Today, the primate can only be found on the islands of Borneo (Sabah, Sarawak and Kalimantan (Indonesia) and Sumatra in Indonesia. Even then, its numbers are declining by the day.
In addition to the threat to its natural habitat, the primate has a low birthrate and high mortality.
“We have heard stories about mawas, which is the Malay name for the orang utan in Peninsular Malaysia, but then, they are believed to have become extinct in the 1950s.
“Now, we find them (in their natural habitat) only in Sabah and Sarawak,” said Prof Dr Mashhor Mansor, who is involved in scientific research on the orang utan.
Special care: Dayang Nurfaizah (left) watching as one of the orang utan infants being bottle-fed in the Orang Utan Island’s Infant Care Unit. He added that the orang utan born in sanctuaries tended to have a low survival rate and few lived to adulthood.
“This is because the orang utan is the most introvert and anti-social of the great apes. They spend most of their time alone and the female only gives birth once every six years,” he said.
In an effort to conserve the primate, Emkay Foundation chairman and Bukit Merah Laketown Resort owner Tan Sri Mustapha Kamal Abu Bakar had teamed up with a group of experts to set up the Orang Utan Island at the resort in 2000.
In the beginning, they had five orang utan on loan from the Malacca Zoo and the Sarawak Forestry Department.
More orang utan were brought in batches and there are now 11 adults and 12 infants, which were born in the island.
Creating awareness: Suboh (second from left) presenting the certificate to appoint Dayang Nurfaizah as rehabilitation and environment conservation ambassador of the foundation and Pulau Banding Foundation. Also present were Mustapha Kamal (left) and Prof Emeritus Abdul Latiff Mohamad (right).
The island is equipped with facilities to care for the infants and the adult primates.
A special infant care unit was built to improve the chances of survival of the young orang utan, with 19 trained employees to provide 24-hour care.
The project needs about RM150,000 per month, which includes maintenance of the facilities, salaries for workers as well as the upkeep of the orang utan.
“We have a lot of plans in the pipeline, including enhancing our research and development centre as well as other conservation efforts.
“And, for that, we need funds.
“We also want the public to be part of this project,” Mustapha said during the launch of the Bukit Merah Orang Utan Island Foundation at Bukit Merah Laketown Resort, Perak recently.
Mustapha, who is also the Board of Trustees chairman for the Bukit Merah Orang Utan Island Foundation, said the foundation was to promote sustainability and improve the environment for the orang utan on the island.
It also enables public participation through a donation and adoption scheme.
The foundation hopes to raise RM6.2mil to enhance the facilities on the island.
The launch was officiated by former Natural Resources and Environment Ministry secretary-general Datuk Suboh Mohd Yassin.
A website was also created to boost awareness on the rehabilitation and conservation efforts on the primate island sanctuary.
The website, www.orangutanisland.org.my, will facilitate the sponsorship and donation drive to raise funds.
Suboh later unveiled the foundation’s logo and charter.
Also present was the foundation’s Board of Trustees member, Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Mohamad.
Singer Dayang Nurfaizah was named the rehabilitation and environment conservation ambassador of the foundation and Pulau Banding Foundation at the function.
“The foundation needs funds, cooperation and support from all quarters for research as well as the rehabilitation and breeding of orang utan on the island,” said Mustapha.
Source:
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/3/9/central/3361385&sec=central
