Orangutan Day is celebrated every year on August 19th! This celebration is a crucial moment to raise awareness about the importance of preserving orangutans and their habitat. They play a vital ecological role in maintaining the balance of tropical rainforest ecosystems. These "forest farmers" contribute to forest regeneration by helping to disperse seeds through their droppings.

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According to Wich et al. (2016) in the journal Current Biology, orangutans play a key role in maintaining biodiversity and the health of forest ecosystems. Their presence is an important indicator of the sustainability of tropical rainforests. Healthy and biologically diverse forests provide essential ecosystem services such as carbon storage, climate regulation, and clean water sources for nearby human communities.

Unfortunately, one of the biggest threats to orangutans is the reduction of their natural habitat. Data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) shows that orangutan populations continue to decline due to habitat loss and poaching. Furthermore, research by Meijaard et al. (2011) published in PLoS ONE reveals that around 80% of orangutan habitat has been lost in the last 20 years, and their population is expected to continue to decline unless effective conservation actions are taken immediately.

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Various actions can be taken to protect orangutans and their habitat. These include supporting conservation initiatives, participating in orangutan adoption programs, and practising sustainable agriculture. By protecting this umbrella species, we indirectly protect countless other species that share their habitat. According to a report by World Wildlife Fund (WWF), protecting tropical rainforests is one of the most effective ways to combat climate change and reduce the greenhouse effect that worsens every year.

Thus, Orangutan Day is a reminder of the importance of protecting orangutans and their increasingly threatened habitat. Effective conservation efforts and global awareness can help ensure that orangutans not only survive but also thrive in the wild. Protecting orangutans is a crucial step in maintaining biodiversity as well as the health of tropical rainforest ecosystems.

Reference: 

1. Wich, S. A., Singleton, I., Nowak, M. G., Atmoko, S. S. U., Nisam, G., Arif, S. M., ... & Kühl, H. S. (2016). Land-cover changes predict steep declines for the Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii). Science Advances, 2(3), e1500789. doi:10.1126/sciadv.1500789.
2. Meijaard, E., Buchori, D., Hadiprakarsa, Y., Utami-Atmoko, S. S., Tjiu, A., Prasetyo, D., ... & Marshall, A. J. (2011). Quantifying killing of orangutans and human-orangutan conflict in Kalimantan, Indonesia. PLoS ONE, 6(11), e27491. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0027491.
3. WWF (World Wildlife Fund). (2018). Living Planet Report - 2018: Aiming Higher. WWF, Gland, Switzerland.

Text by: Communication Team, BOS Foundation Headquarters, Bogor, West Java