PALANGKA RAYA, inikalteng.com – Former President of the Boys Scouts of The Philippines, Mr Wendel Avisado, admitted that he was very happy to be able to see and meet directly with free-living orangutans. Because among the many animals he wanted to meet, the orangutan was one of the animals he really wanted to see directly in the open.
“I’ve seen orangutans in my town before, and they’re well kept in rich people’s homes, but it’s a little different when we see them in their natural habitat, where they should be, because this is where they’re supposed to be, this is environment and their habitat,” said Mr Wendel when visiting the orangutan breeding site managed by the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF) in the Nyaru Menteng area, Tahai Village, Palangka Raya City, Central Kalimantan Province, Thursday (17/11/2022).
According to the former Minister of Finance of the Philippines under President Rodrigo Duterte, if orangutans are allowed to live where they should be and at the same time they are cared for because orangutans are not dangerous animals, then that is the ideal condition.
It must be remembered, said Mr Wendel, that currently there are not many orangutans in the world. Humans must understand that orangutans are also part of human ecology, and historically whether orangutans have a relationship or not, orangutans learn from the past, from their origins. In fact, in one study, it was said that the orangutan was the ancestor of humans.
Because of that, he suggested to the people not only in Palangka Raya but all over the world, they must understand the need to protect orangutans, because this is part of humanity.
Without any selfish thoughts, Mr Wendel emphasized that all other living things were also created by God. So, why should humans exterminate animals? Why do we take orangutans out of their habitat? And, why do humans bother them? In fact, he continued, orangutans do not disturb humans, instead humans do things that disturb orangutan habitat. Humans continue to occupy the place where orangutans should be in order to ensure protection for their future. So, actually humans are in debt to these animals.
“That is the reason why my heart is sad to see the suffering of orangutans due to human ignorance,” he said.
Mr Wendel reminded that the government has an obligation to protect all of God’s creation in his country, including animals that are not dangerous. For this reason, serious support and efforts from the government are needed to maintain and ensure the survival of orangutans. (nl/red1)
