Wild tigers and elephants in Sumatra have killed several people. The persons who were attacked were often illegal loggers. It seems to be a bloody revenge: the increasing deforestation has cornered wild animals. Human 'civilization' is bulldozing jungle out of existence as a result of population explosion and increasing demand for wood.
The forest is trimmed away and divided into sections, while those animals need a large habitat for survival: to eat, to mate and to be able to hide from poachers. The animals had protection of impenetrable rain forests and swamps, not only against poachers, but also farmers. Farmers and plantation owners spread poison and set traps. Their skin, tusks and bones are very popular with Chinese drug makers. Orangutan babies make good money when sold as "pet".
Legal and illegal felling of huge trees feeds the large paper- and furniture industry in Europe and America. Everywhere plantations arise for timber, oil palm, coffee and rubber, together with roads and factories. The ever increasing number of over 200 million Indonesians claims more and more space for habitation.
Only 300 rhinos still live on the island of Sumatra, and on Java the sixty remaining rhinos barely have enough habitats for them to reproduce. In Kalimantan three thousand Orangutans are annually slaughtered for the sake of encroaching oil palm plantations and through forest fires. In Ceram (Moluccas) the orange crested cockatoo is becoming extinct. The paradise bird in Papua awaits the same fate.
Eventually, the animals (and plants) are the major losers. Please, let this not happen.
Give nature some space to live, so stop human overpopulation.
© STHOPD 2009
