![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
. | ![]() |
. |
![]() by Staff Writers Jakarta (AFP) Feb 16, 2017
A critically endangered Bornean orangutan has been shot dead, hacked to pieces and eaten by workers after straying onto an Indonesian palm oil plantation, police and activists said Thursday. Police have formally named three male suspects in the brutal killing in Kapuas Hulu district, in the Indonesian part of Borneo island, while another seven are being questioned as witnesses to the crime. Authorities launched an investigation after media ran stories showing gruesome pictures of the slaughtered ape. The workers were detained after police found orangutan bones and dried meat in a cupboard at a plantation workers' camp, in a remote part of the jungle-clad island, local police chief Jukiman Situmorang told AFP. He said the three workers named as suspects stand accused of "shooting, hacking, chopping, cooking and eating the orangutan" on January 27. The men could be jailed for up to five years if found guilty of breaking laws that protect the animals. Environmental group the Centre for Orangutan Protection (COP) condemned the killing and urged police to target the company that runs the plantation as well as the workers. The head of COP, Hardi Baktiantoro, criticised palm oil companies for introducing rules that see workers punished if there is any damage to plants. This means they view orangutans, who often stray onto plantations accidentally and cause damage, as pests and attack them. He also said authorities should never have given permission for a plantation in the area: "Why would they give a permit in an area that is an orangutan habitat?" The rapid expansion of palm oil plantations on Borneo has been blamed for destroying orangutans' natural jungle habitat. They are also attacked by villagers who view them as pests and targeted by poachers to be sold as pets. The habitat of Bornean orangutans has dwindled by over 50 percent in the past 20 years, and its population has fallen by more than 50 percent over the past 60 years, according to the WWF. The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies the animal as critically endangered.
![]() ![]()
Related Links Darwin Today At TerraDaily.com
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |