Guest guest Posted December 2, 2005 Report Share Posted December 2, 2005 Friday December 2, 2005 - The Star Orang utans face no threat from logging, plantations KUCHING: Orang utans in Sarawak are not threatened by logging activities or oil palm plantations, said Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud. He disputed claims that the primates could be found in secondary jungles or primary forest areas where logging was permitted, and added that they lived within the boundaries of the state's national parks or wildlife sanctuaries. " Orang utans are no longer found in secondary jungles, and that's a fact. And most of the areas opened up for oil palm plantations are secondary jungle, " he told a press conference here yesterday that was also attended by foreign journalists attending the International Media and Environment Summit. Taib added that if researchers found orang utans anywhere else in the state, he would be happy to preserve the area. State forests director Datuk Cheong Ek Choon said orang utans in Sarawak were only found in the Batang Ai National Park, Lanjak Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary and Maludam National Park in Ulu Sebuyau. " These are protected areas, so how can it be that logging or oil palm plantations are affecting orang utans?'' he asked. He said studies done by the International Tropical Timber Organisation and the Wildlife Conservation Society found that there were about 2,000 orang utans in Sarawak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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