Orang-utan haven to be destroyed in forest clearance

Hundreds of acres of Indonesian forest used as a sanctuary for endangered orang-utans are to be cleared, environmental groups claimed today.

The plush lowland area is just outside the Bukit Tigapuluh national park on Sumatra. Though not protected, it is an important area for biodiversity and has been used since 2002 as a release point for 100 rehabilitated orang-utans — some orphaned when their mothers were killed by workers on nearby palm oil plantations.

Peter Pratje of the Frankfurt Zoological Society said: "It took scientists decades to discover how to reintroduce orang-utans into the wild." He said it could take the company Asia Pulp & Paper "just months to destroy an important part of their new habitat".

Asia Pulp & Paper could not be reached for comment. There are about 60,000 orang-utans left in the wild, about 10 per cent on Sumatra. The forests of Bukit Tigapuluh are also home to 100 of the last 400 Sumatran tigers in the wild.