Orangutan

Orangutan, meaning “man of the forest,” is a species of great ape.  These intelligent animals are known for their reddish-brown hair and their extremely long, dangly arms.  They are native to Indonesia and Malaysia, and can now be found only on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra.  Their main habitat is high in the trees of the rainforests, where they spend their days chomping on fruits, leaves, shoots, and seeds.  With only about 15,000 orangutans remaining in Borneo and 6,000 left in Sumatra, it is estimated that these precious animals may become completely extinct by 2012.  Within the last twenty years, they have lost almost 80% of their habitat.  Deforestation is among one of the major problems the orangutans face in their fight for survival because slash and burn methods are used to create major palm oil plantations.  Another major problem is the illegal pet trade in baby orangutans, which results in many hundreds of infants being taken away from their mothers each year.  It is said that four to five orangutans die for each baby that is taken. Poaching is also a major problem for these animals.  Never before has such a crisis existed for orangutans.  With all the difficulties the orangutans are facing, they will soon disappear from the earth if something is not done soon.

To learn more about orangutans visit our orangutan facts page. 

 Red Panda

The red panda was the first mammal observed to eat bamboo and is actually the original panda.  It's name, panda, is derived from the Nepalese word - poonya - which means bamboo eater.  This raccoon-sized mammal has a beautiful amber and black fur coat and deep brown eyes. It lives in the Himalayas in northeastern India, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma and southern China.  Red pandas have a naturally high death rate in the wild because they have several natural predators, including the snow leopard and the marten.  Human beings, however, are the biggest threat to the red panda.  Though poaching is illegal everywhere, it remains an enormous problem.  In China, the fur of the red panda is considered a good luck charm in wedding ceremonies. The agriculture and timber industries are quickly taking away what little is left of the red panda habitat, leaving them struggling to survive. It is estimated that fewer than 2500 red pandas live in the wild, and even this number is continually declining because of their severely fragmented habitat.

To learn more about red Pandas visit the Red Panda Network website. The Red Panda Network is a non-profit organization committed to protecting the wild red panda and preserving its habitat through the empowerment of local communities by adaptive community-based research, education, and sustainable development.

Panda

The panda’s native home is China, where hundreds of thousands of these cute, cuddly members of the bear family used to live.  Today, the future of this precious animal remains uncertain.  The latest studies show that there are only about one thousand pandas left in the wild, with about one hundred and forty more living in zoos and breeding centers around the world.  Bamboo, which is the panda’s main food source, goes through phases of growing and dying.  This is a problem pandas have solved for themselves; they simply relocate to a different part of the forest to feed. Today, though, pandas have fewer and fewer habitats to move to, because farmlands are expanding and forests are being cleared.  The tiny amount of land they have left is extremely fragmented, which isolates each small group of pandas from other groups, and makes breeding - always a problem among pandas - an even bigger challenge.  Man is by far the greatest threat to the panda. Poaching, for example, still remains a very serious problem.  Reserves have been set up to help save the pandas’ disappearing habitat. If human beings don’t make a drastic change for the better soon, future generations will be able to view these beautiful creatures only in books.

To learn more about the giant panda visit Panda Internationals website. Pandas International is a worldwide non-profit organization whose priority is saving the giant panda from extinction. 

Clouded Leopard

The Clouded Leopard is found in Southern China, the eastern Himalayas, north-east India, and south-east Asia.  It is a medium sized cat with very unique marking, which are said to resemble that of a cloud.  A separate species from the clouded leopard, the Bornean Clouded Leopard is found only on the islands of Sumatra, Borneo and Batu.  There are many significant threats to this cat’s homeland in south-east Asia.  Borneo and Sumatra have extremely high deforestation rates due to logging and massive palm oil plantations.  Besides the drastic decline in their homeland, the clouded leopard is also hunted, now more than ever because other larger cats have been hunted out of their range.  Poachers are interested in them especially for their skin, but also for bones and meat.  It is also said that they are hunted for use in Chinese medicinal preparations.  Clouded leopards are endangered and listed as vulnerable, and although they are protects from hunting, the laws are seldom enforced.  There is really no estimate as to numbers left in the wild, but they are definitely thought to be in decline.  Very little is known about these precious species, and it is essential for them to be protected so that we can learn more about them.  With their decreasing homeland, and their increasing appeal to hunters, we must act fast before it is too late to save them. 

To learn more about clouded leopards visit The Clouded Leopard website. The Clouded Leopard Project funds research and conservation efforts to help ensure the survival of this rare and beautiful cat.

Sumatran Rainforest

Sumatra, located in South East Asia, is the sixth largest island in the world and the largest island located completely in Indonesia. The Sumatran Rainforest is one of the most diverse and unique rainforests in the world. Over the past few decades, however, this rainforest, one of the world’s finest because of all the amazing wildlife it contains, has shrunk dramatically. The main threats to the Sumatran lowland rainforests are logging and palm oil plantations. Logged land is extremely susceptible to fire, and even though intentional burning to clear land is illegal, forest fires are still set all the time, both naturally and illegally. Once the land is cleared, major palm oil plantations are started, since palm oil is a huge business in Indonesia.  The Sumatran tiger is one of the world’s rarest mammals, and its home is this precious forest that is quickly disappearing. Along with the Sumatran tiger, there are many other species that are endangered, including the clouded leopard of Borneo, the agile gibbon, the Asian elephant, the Malayan tapir, the Sumatran rabbit, the Sumatran rhino, the javan langur, and the sun bear. These are only few of the countless animals that are in major trouble.  Many of these animals are indigenous to the Sumatran rainforest, meaning they can be found nowhere else in the world. Once these forests are gone, these precious animals are gone as well.

We at Daughter Earth feel that it is extremely important to protect these prized rainforests.  It is crucial that something be done quickly in order to help save the many species that are barely hanging on by a thread.  Here are some great links to learn more about the Sumatran Rainforests and how you can help:

SOS Tree Replanting Project
RSPB Sumatran Rainforest Campaign
The Rainforest Site (click to give)
WWF Borneo and Sumatra