Sumatran orangutans in KL

[Guest guest]

FROM MALAYSIAKINI

 

Fauwaz Abdul Aziz

 

May 21, 05 10:43am

 

An expert on Sumatran orangutans has confirmed that

the pictures he saw

of

orangutans performing in a show in Kuala Lumpur were

those of the

endangered

Sumatran variety.

 

Dr Ian Singleton, scientific director of the

Switzerland-based Sumatran

Orangutan Conservation Programme said photographs

taken of orangutans

during

last month’s show revealed that at least two were of

the protected

species.

 

“I saw photographs of four orangutans at the Kuala

Lumpur Bird Park

(where

the show was held). At least two of them are

definitely Sumatran

orangutans.

I also strongly suspect that the other two are

(Sumatran) as well,” he

said

in an email interview.

 

Sumatran orangutans (pongo pygmaeus abelii) have been

recognised as

‘critically endangered’ under the 1973 Convention on

International

Trade in

Endangered Species (CITES). Commercial trade in these

animals is

prohibited.

 

Physical differences

 

Singleton also said he was able to distinguish

Sumatran orangutans in

the

photographs from the Bornean variety, which are not in

the same

“critically

endangered” category, by the colour of their hair,

build and the rings

around their eyes.

 

“The ones that are clearly Sumatrans have ‘orangey’ or

golden hair,

slender

build, yellowy golden beards (albeit short as they are

young animals)

and

virtually no remaining pink eye rings around the

eyes,” said Singleton,

who

is currently based in Medan, Indonesia.

 

“The Sumatrans are slimmer and more 'delicate' than

the robust

Borneans,” he

said further.

 

Last week, malaysiakini reported allegations that the

Malacca-based

A’Famosa

resort was in possession of about eight Sumatran

orangutans, some of

which

had recently been used in animal shows at the Bird

Park

 

Wildlife Department’s law and enforcement director

Misliah Mohd Basir

questioned these allegations and said DNA tests had to

be conducted on

the

orangutans to determine whether or not they are of the

Sumatran species

or

Bornean.

 

She said the department could not act on claims that

the orangutans are

of

Sumatran origin based merely on such physical

characteristics as the

colour

of their hair.

 

“The characteristics tend to change according to the

natural conditions

and

diet. We have to confirm the species through DNA

testing,” she added.

 

Misliah did not disclose, however, when the tests

could be conducted

but

alluded to the significant work involved in

establishing a DNA

profiling

system as there was currently no such system in

Malaysia or neighboring

countries.

 

Hybrid animals

 

Commenting on this, Singleton said specialists would

be able to

distinguish

between Sumatran and Bornean orangutans, but did not

rule out DNA

sampling

as a way to confirm their judgement and convince the

authorities.

 

“For people who are used to distinguishing between the

two it is

normally

very easy. To anyone who is used to working with

orangutans the

physical

differences are more than enough for us to know that

at least these two

are

definitely Sumatrans,” he added.

 

“However, if we want to convince the authorities in

Malaysia and

Indonesia

of this then the DNA profiling is a sensible action,”

he added.

 

He expressed doubts, however, about the possibility

that the orangutans

featured in the photographs were hybrids.

 

“I think it very unlikely that these are hybrid

animals. If they were,

they

would have to have been born in captivity, in an

institution that keeps

both

species together,” he said.

 

A’Famosa has not responded to numerous calls for

comments on the

matter.

 

 

 

FROM MALAYSIAKINI

 

Orangutan shows at KL Bird Park called off

 

Fauwaz Abdul Aziz

 

May 28, 05 2:38pm

 

The Kuala Lumpur Bird Park had cancelled its shows

featuring orangutans

soon

after a member of the public complained that the

organisers were

allegedly

using Sumatran orangutans, an endangered species, for

entertainment and

commercial purposes.

 

A source said that no other shows featuring orangutans

were held

following

the last one on April 9 this year. Previously, the

show was held twice

daily

every weekend and three times during public holidays

for about three

years.

 

According to the source who had seen the April 9 show,

it was cancelled

and

taken off the programme after its organisers got wind

of the

complaints.

 

Sumatran orangutans (pongo pygmaeus abelii) are

recognised as a

‘critically

endangered’ species under the 1973 Convention on

International Trade in

Endangered Species (CITES). Commercial trade in these

animals is

prohibited.

 

At the opening of the last show, according to the

source, the master of

ceremonies had allegedly even introduced the

orangutans as an

“endangered

species” and are “found only in Sumatra.”

 

When contacted, Bird Park officials confirmed that it

had not featured

any

orangutans in its shows since mid-April.

 

One spokesperson, when pressed for the reasons, would

only say that " we

are

not in possession of any orangutans anymore.

" If you want to find out about orangutans, you have to

ask the National

Zoo, " she said.

'Definitely Sumatran'

 

Wildlife Department’s law and enforcement director

Misliah Mohd Basir

has

cast doubts that the orangutans were of the endangered

Sumatran

variety, and

insisted that only DNA samples from the orangutans can

confirm their

identity.

 

However, Dr Ian Singleton, scientific director of the

Switzerland-based

Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme, has

confirmed that the

orangutans

captured on photographs while performing at the Kuala

Lumpur Bird Park

are

“definitely Sumatran.”

 

“For people who are used to distinguishing between the

two, it is

normally

very easy. To anyone who is used to working with

orangutans, the

physical

differences are more than enough for us to know that

at least these two

are

definitely Sumatrans,” said Singleton.

 

“However, if we want to convince the authorities in

Malaysia and

Indonesia

of this then the DNA profiling is a sensible action,”

he added.

 

The orangutans are currently held in the Malacca-based

A’Famosa Resort.

A’Famosa has not returned repeated calls for comments

on the matter.

 

 

 

 

Michelle Desilets

BOS UK

www.savetheorangutan.org.uk

www.savetheorangutan.info

" Primates Helping Primates "

 

Please sign our petition to rescue over 100 smuggled orangutans in Thailand:

http://www.thePetitionSite.com/takeaction/822035733

 

 

 

 

 

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