There’s a lot we can be thankful for — family and friends, food, transportation, education, and of course, a roof over our heads. However, not everyone is lucky to have even half of those things, and this fact is true for both humans and animals alike. For one orangutan, he had his home at risk of being taken away right before his eyes when a group of excavators was brought into the picture.
As you can probably imagine, the excavators involved in this heartbreaking, viral story were about to remove the trees the orangutan knew and loved. In the video featuring this common case, the excavators are literally in the middle of removing a large tree the innocent orangutan was sitting in.
Already at this point, my heart dropped. I can’t imagine what the orangutan must be feeling as his home is vulnerable, and not to mention, the noisy group of men surrounding him that must have him feeling overwhelmed, to say the least. I had to pause the video for a bit.
Angry at what was occurring, the orangutan climbs down to another branch to get a closer look at the scene. He begins to pace back and forth in frustration. Then drama skyrockets from a 6 to a 10 when the orangutan confronts the bulldozer directly. However, the machine nearly hits him. The poor guy seriously could have got injured as he eventually went tumbling down to the forest floor.
At this point, I begin to notice what looks like rain in the video. It honestly couldn’t be more fitting for this sad observation.
Towards the end of the clip, it seems that the orangutan is walking away or just standing there unsure of what to do next and completely hopeless.
If you wondered what happened after the video ended, yes, the sweet orangutan’s habitat was destroyed. I hoped there would be a happy ending, but there wasn’t. It’s scenarios like this one that makes animals think all humans are bad when we aren’t.
It’s videos like this one that brings to light the sad reality of innocent animals’ homes being destroyed.
However, we can have the power to put an end to orangutan (and other animals’) deliberate habitat destruction. International Animal Rescue is one great organization that accepts donations for its wildlife habitat conservation project. For those who can’t donate, no worries. You can still be an advocate. Even by planting a tree or by educating others on habitat destruction via deforestation, you’re doing your part.
To see the footage for yourself, watch the video below.
Share on Facebook when you’re finished watching if you believe animal habitats are worthy of being protected.