View: Stop treating orang utan as human beings

Thursday June 4, 2009

THE orang utan is one of the most unique species that thrive in our country and efforts are being made by all parties to help save this species from extinction.

Your recent report on how the orang utan were treated at a so-call sanctuary surprises me.

It is human instinct for those who care for animals to start treating them like humans but they must realise that these creatures belong in the wild.

They have their own way of living, their own way of finding food and surviving. We cannot interfere with how they live because when we humans are no longer able to take care of them and release them to the wild to live, they will not be able to survive. It is to me a simple enough concept to understand.

This centre claims that it plans to release the orang utan back to the wild.

Are they are planning to release them to an area which is not native to them. If and when they are released, they should be sent back to their original habitat in Borneo.

How many times have we seen cases when man wants to play God and introduces new species to an area not native to it and ends up with more problems than solutions? When are we ever going to learn that these creatures live where they are for a reason, usually because the area is suitable for their survival. Treating the orang utan like human beings further complicates the situation.

What will happen when the centre releases the orang utan who have been cared for like kids in a nursery back to the wild?

How are they going to survive when there will be no nurses to come feed them every two hours or change their nappies?

If this centre is concerned about the survival of this species, it should instead work on raising public awareness on how to help save the species and not keep them in their own little island, claiming to help conserve them while making money at the same time.

From the way the orang utan are being treated now, it looks as if they are being trained to be pets and kept at home.

I am also shocked to hear their own veterinarian saying that what they are doing is not wrong. He should understand the consequences more than anyone else, being someone who is trained about animals, their behaviour and illnesses.

Wild animals should be left to live as they should; they are not humans, they cannot be domesticated like cats and dogs.

If we really want to help save them, we should focus on not destroying their habitat for the sake of development. Areas like the Royal Belum Forest should be left alone and not turned into a resort to attract more tourists without considering their impact on the natural inhabitants of the area.

KHATIJAH ABDULLAH,
Ampang, Selangor.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: News: Opinion 4 June 2009