Some hope
the known number of endangered orangutans in the world has increased by about 10 per cent thanks to a remarkable find. Researchers from Virginia-based Nature Conservancy have found a large population of orangutans, the size of which was previously unknown. They have documented 1,600 orangutan nests, indicating that between 1,000 and 2,500 orangutans are living within a 1,399-square kilometre area of the lowland forest in the province of East Kalimantan, part of the Indonesian portion of Borneo.
The finding offers a rare opportunity for conservationists working to save the primate. "This amazing find represents one of the last and best chances to protect the orangutans,' says Steve McCormick, president of Nature Conservancy.
An estimated 14,000 to 25,000 orangutans are left in the wild. They are only found in Borneo and Sumatra. Primate experts have predicted that orangutans will be extinct in the wild by 2020 unless effective steps are taken immediately for reducing the threats to the survival of these animals.
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