Victory! Orangutans to Remain in the Wild
In a major win for orangutans, Malaysia’s Plantation and Commodities Minister, Johari Abdul Ghani, announced this week that, after considering the concerns expressed by both local and international conservation organizations, he has revised his plans for “Orangutan Diplomacy” to focus on in-situ conservation efforts.
In public remarks on the updated plan, Minister Ghani said, “I have decided that our orangutan diplomacy means that orangutans cannot leave their natural habitat.”
He went on to note that palm oil trade partners will be invited to symbolically adopt an orangutan and participate in on-site conservation efforts in Sabah to “ensure that orangutans are protected and preserved forever.”
This is a huge victory for critically endangered orangutans that will keep more members of their species living in the wild in their home forests rather than confined in zoos around the world.
Species Unite applauds Minister Ghani for his willingness to listen to the concerns of environmentalists and for making the best decision for the well-being of his nation’s wildlife.
Thank you to everyone who joined us in speaking out for a better future for these precious primates.
What You Fought Against
Orangutans, one of the most recognized and beloved primate species on Earth, face a grave risk of extinction, with all three species critically endangered and an average of 2,000 to 3,000 orangutans killed every year.
Deforestation is currently the greatest threat to their survival, with orangutans having lost over 80% of their habitat in the past 20 years. The ever-increasing global demand for palm oil has exacerbated this already dire situation, as each new plantation leads to the destruction of thousands of hectares of land and the deaths of countless orangutans.
Malaysia, the world’s second-largest producer of palm oil, is under pressure from the European Union, which passed a law last year banning commodities linked to deforestation.
In May 2024, in response to international scrutiny over the substantial environmental harm caused by palm oil production, Malaysia's Plantation and Commodities Minister, Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, announced an extremely problematic plan to start shipping orangutans around the world to trade partners that buy Malaysian palm oil.
Destroying these animals’ homes and then forcing them to live in captivity thousands of miles from their native forests is an absurd idea that contradicts Malaysia’s purported commitment to sustainability and ethical palm oil production.
Animals should never be used as political props, and all nations should reject "orangutan diplomacy." Using animals as gifts and a form of “soft power” is a cruel and outdated practice that must be stopped.
Orangutans are highly intelligent animals, having even been observed using medicinal plants to treat wounds. These deeply complex individuals should not be handed a life sentence behind bars at zoos to greenwash the destruction of their homes.
If nothing changes, orangutans could be extinct in the wild within the next 50 years. We need real solutions from the nations these animals call home, not political theater at the expense of individual orangutans as a distraction from the dire problem at hand.
Instead, Malaysia should focus on implementing sustainable palm oil practices, protecting its remaining forests, and investing in orangutan conservation in their natural habitats.
In August of 2024 Minister Ghani announced that he was revising his plan for “orangutan diplomacy” to focus on in-situ conservation efforts that will keep orangutans in the wild.