Two wheelbarrows full of adorable orangutans are on their way to safety at the International Animal Rescue‘s center in Ketapang, West Kalimantan in the Indonesian part of Borneo. Their cute, human-like faces look a little worried as they’re moved into their new home where they will be rehabilitated and eventually able to live in their natural habitat.
These babies were rescued from captive situations as part of the illegal pet trade. They are sensitive, intelligent, and wild animals that are not meant to be kept as pets. Fortunately, this little group has a more hopeful future, though the future of their species is in question.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, the numbers of orangutans in the wild is decreasing:
“Orangutans were once distributed widely across Southeast Asia, roaming as far north as southern China, and as far south as the Indonesian island of Javar. But today Asia’s great ape is confined to just two islands, Borneo and Sumatra.
A century ago, there were probably 230,000 orangutans — around four times as many as there are today.
Their dense forest home makes it difficult to determine population sizes, but the Bornean orangutan is estimated to number around 104,000 individuals, while there are under 14,000 Sumatran orangutans.”
Humans are the main threat to the survival of the species:
“Habitat loss is by far the greatest threat to orangutans. Huge tracts of forest have been cleared throughout their range and the land used for agriculture, particularly palm oil – a product that is found in more than half of packaged products in supermarkets around the world.
Road development, illegal timber harvesting and unsustainable logging, mining and human encroachment also contribute to habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation.
Today, more than 50% of orangutans are found outside of protected areas, in forests under management by timber, palm oil, and mining companies.”
Even supposedly “safe” and protected areas can be dangerous for the orangutans. Boundaries of those areas can be unclear and they are often understaffed and underfunded. The timber, palm oil, and mining companies continue to cross the boundaries of protected regions.
Further threats to the orangutan include being hunted for food as well as uncontrollable wildfires.
As the babies in the video make their way towards their new home, they cling to one another, seemingly unsure. One brave, curious little orangutan hops from the wheelbarrow to do a little exploring and is helped along with others, holding a rescuer’s hand. Hopefully, videos like this will raise awareness of the orangutan’s plight and more of them can find their way to safe sanctuaries.
Watch the adorable video below!
