ORANGUTAN
Pongo Pygmaeus is the scientific name for orangutan. this unique animal that has a face just like man which lives in forest. their name is derive from the Malay word 'orang hutan' which literally means 'person of the forest'. The orangutan is one of man's closest and enigmatic cousins in the animal kingdom, sharing 96.4 percent of human DNA.

WHAT HAPPEN ?
Nowadays, the species of orangutan is likely to be extinct. Over the past 100 years orangutans have lost 91% of their population. They reproduce very slowly, as the female will only give birth every 6-7 years in the wild. Yet, there is only one infant is born.

THE CAUSES.
The biggest thread to orangutan is the destruction of their habitat.
This loss of habitat is the result of economic pressures, man's greed and ignorance and natural disasters. It is also cause by illegal logging, huge expansion of oil palm plantations, forest fires, mining, settlements, slash and burn method by the farmers, road construction, natural phenomena, and many other reasons.

The orangutans could be virtually extinct because of the illegal logging and fires that have been overtaken as the primary cause of deforestation, like a huge expansion of oil plantations. Palm oil, as a vegetable oil can enhance a healthy diet, and as a bio fuel that can reduce carbon emissions which contribute to climate change. Yet, it transpires that humans' pursuit of an ethical lifestyle could inadvertently mean a death sentence for one of the great apes.

Most animals are used for scientific research. The orangutan and chimpanzee are two such examples that are threatened for these reasons. Up to 6 orangutans die when captured or during transport for every one that ends up in a laboratory.

The trade in baby orangutans, though illegal, continues to thrive today. Many hundreds of infant orangutans are taken from the wild for the pet trade every year. This done by killing the mother and taking the baby. It is estimated 4-5 orangutans die for every baby reaching the market. They can die as a result of injury from falling several hundred feet of forest floor when their mother was shot, of the trauma of seeing their mother killed and possibly eaten, from contracting diseases from humans (they are susceptible to all human diseases), or from succumbing to the poor conditions in which they are often kept following their capture.

Legal and illegal commercial hunting has lead to the extinction of orangutans. these activities continue today, especially in less developed countries where species protection programs do not exist or poorly funded. There are two types of hunting; which are sport hunting and commercial hunting. Sport hunting is when hunters kill for profit. Today it is of little concern as countries control sport hunting with licenses and regulations. This type of hunting is what causes extinction of animals today.


WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE ?
Orangutans are the "keystone" species for conservation. The number of orangutan is declining very fast and soon it will face the possible extinction from this planet. They play an important part in forest regeneration through the fruits and seeds they eat. Their disappearance may represent the lost of thousands of species of plants and animals within that ecosystem. This is such a sad ending for one of the most intelligent animal ever to sat foot on earth. Our greed is mainly the reason why orangutan is losing it's place here on earth.