Published Date: 06 July 2008 THE endangered orangutan could become the first great ape to become extinct if urgent action is not taken to protect the species from human encroachment in its native South-East Asia. The stark warning about the future of one of the world's most iconic animals emerged yesterday in a new study by American scientists, who said the number of orangutans in Indonesia and Malaysia had declined sharply since 2004, mostly because of illeg al logging, the expansion of palm oil plantations and hunting. A survey by the Great Ape Trust in Iowa found the orangutan population on the Indonesian island of Sumatra has dropped nearly 14% over the past three years to 6,600. No giant apes were found in parts of Aceh province, which was hit by the Asian tsunami in 2004. Orangutans are only found in Indonesia and...
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