April 12, 2009 7:09 AM EDT JAKARTA, Indonesia - Conservationists have discovered a new population of orangutans in a remote, mountainous corner of Indonesia - perhaps as many as 2,000 - giving a rare boost to one of the world's most endangered great apes.
A team surveying forests nestled between jagged, limestone cliffs on the eastern edge of Borneo island counted 219 orangutan nests, indicating a "substantial" number of the animals, said Erik Meijaard, a senior ecologist at the U.S.-based The Nature Conservancy.
"We can't say for sure how many," he said, but even the most cautious estimate would indicate "several hundred at least, maybe 1,000 or 2,000 even."
To read the rest of the story, click the link: New orangutan population found in Indonesia
...and stay tuned for future posts about my involvement with the Orangutan Foundation International.
Photo: Luke G. Gardner, Copyright 2009
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What an interesting and worthwhile Foundation to be involved with. I watched a documentary recently on the orangutans in Indonesia and how they were charting them and promoting their conservation. Fascinating!!
ReplyDeletePatricia