Inside the battle to protect Borneo’s last orangutans | DW Reporter

Palm oil is chipping away at Borneo’s rainforest. As orangutans lose their habitat, local people are fighting to preserve the forest.

Deforestation is destroying wildlife in Kalimantan and pushing Borneo's orangutans dangerously close to the point of extinction. A recent study shows that deforestation in this part of Indonesia is progressing moer rapidly than in any other part. On a boat tour deep inside Borneo's jungle, accompanied by a local guide, we search for wild orangutans in one of the last intact rainforest areas where they can still survive. It is an ecosystem under pressure as large parts of the jungle have already been cleared for palm oil plantations and mining.

Former loggers, who once made a living from cutting down these forests, are now trying to make ends meet through tourism—a last-ditch effort to protect what remains of their forest. However, there are also reforestation projects aimed at the difficult and lengthy process of restoration. Conservationists warn that this is a critical moment: if the remaining fragments of rainforest are lost, the orangutan could disappear along with them.

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#Borneo #Orangutan #Deforestation #dwcurrentaffairs

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