Everyone has heard of orangutans. The Red Ape, the Old Man of the Forest; the poster child for shrinking Indo-Malayan rainforests. But less people are aware that since 2001, there have been two recognized orangutan species: the Bornean (Pongo pygmaeus) and the Sumatran (P abelii). And a study published earlier this year has revealed something that until recently, nobody knew about: A third orangutan species, the Tapanuli Orangutan (P. tapanuliensis).
The first signs of a new species came when a DNA analysis of over 30 orangutans from across Indonesia found that the genetic code of a population from the Tapanuli region of Northern Sumatra differed from that of other Sumatran Orangutans. A closer examination of the code found that they had split from each around 700,000 years ago. Subtle differences in mating calls and skull shapes provided further evidence for the uniqueness of these orangutans, leading to scientists from the University of Zurich and the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme to declare them a new species.
While the validity of this new species is currently being debated, what is depressingly clear is how close we are to losing it. There are thought to be less than 800 Tapanuli Orangutans in the world, making it the rarest great ape species on earth. All of them live in a 1000 km² area already threatened by illegal hunting, deforestation, gold mining and now the looming possibility of a new hydroelectric power plant. For now, the Tapanuli Orangutan is going on the IUCN’s Critically Endangered list. But it should also be listed as yet another reason why we must act now to cut our palm oil consumption and save Southeast Asia’s unique rainforests.
Sources:
- BBC: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-41848816
- Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/nov/02/new-species-of-orangutan-discovered-in-northern-sumatra-tapanuli-pongo-tapanuliensis
Thomas Gomersall, Masarang HK Volunteer
Here is a picture of the jury that comprised provincial government officials and several independent national level jury members from the business and academic and NGO world that visited the factory for a final inspection some three weeks ago in Tomohon. Third from the right is Erwin Tanauma, our director and second from the right Ir. Marthen Polii, the operational manager.
I want to take this occasion to highlight a very special person whom I credit with improving many things in our operations and it is Erwin Tanauma. When we started the palm sugar factory the local sugar palm tapper coordinators, 36 of them, advertised the position of factory director more than 10 years ago. And they selected Erwin with a very big majority vote out of three candidates that had applied. Very unusual for Indonesia that farmers elect their own director! When the sugar palm coordinators had internal problems we had to reorganize the factory and Erwin choose another path. Two years ago we had a lot of issues that needed to be dealt with in the factory and I approached, rather begged, Erwin to come back and try to improve the factory and expand the production. I am very pleased that Erwin agreed and I want to thank him here for the great job he is doing, benefitting so many local people in Tomohon and now in many other places in Indonesia where we share our knowhow to improve the wellbeing of local people.
During the week, we also visited many of the reforestation sites of Masarang in Tomohon, such as the 80 hectare Pulisan reforestation, the Masarang Mountain reforestation and many of the new forests that were planted through a special cooperation with local people and local government. We also visited the Tulap turtle beach where the reforestation scheme supported by Hong Kong schools is coming along nicely. Of course, Tasikoki itself with its stunning views and so many special animals could not be left out.
Here is a picture of the group together with two visitors, Nick and Scott, from a company interested in the carbon sequestration potential of our reforestation scheme. The Masarang forest behind captures much water from the clouds that pass by. It was a wet climb to this extinct volcano crater in light rain and through very slippery mud! This crater is called Rumpina and will be the site of our cooperation with the Sam Ratulangi University from Manado and will have a visitor center for schools
During the visit we also celebrated the Birthday of Esther in the lovely Gardenia Country Inn of Tomohon.
In the picture on the right we are standing on a sandstone rock, overlooking the vast area of good rain forest behind us that will be preserved forever by Arsari Enviro Industri, the company that could have taken the logs but only works with reforestation of the degraded forests in the area through agroforestry with sugar palms and a mix of other local tree species. Any good forest is excluded from commercial operations.
A picture from the fire tower of Samboja Lestari. Behind us a sea of green where once was nothing else but a biological dessert of short yellow grass. The power of nature!
Here a picture during the presentation. The projector did not work so many of the department heads of the Bupati tried to get glimpses of the maps and pictures I showed them.
