Indonesian Orangutan Habitat Wiped Out for Airport and Brothels

May 20, 2009

Agence France-Presse reports that part of a national park on Borneo island, home to hundreds of endangered orangutans, has been turned into a development zone complete with an airport and brothel. Some 600 orangutan have disappeared from Kutai National Park, East Kalimantan province, over the past seven years due to unchecked construction. It really makes you wonder – just how callous can humanity be towards sister species, and if this is going on with government complicity, just how willing is Indonesia's government to limit deforestation? Or is REDD carbon finance proposal just about the carbon money?

Agence France-Presse reports that part of a national park on Borneo island, home to hundreds of endangered orangutans, has been turned into a development zone complete with an airport and brothel. Some 600 orangutan have disappeared from Kutai National Park, East Kalimantan province, over the past seven years due to unchecked construction.

It really makes you wonder – just how callous can humanity be towards sister species, and if this is going on with government complicity, just how willing is Indonesia's government to limit deforestation? Or is REDD carbon finance proposal just about the carbon money?

Subscribe to our newsletter.

Stay in the loop on rainforest conservation issues with our free newsletter!