Following China’s ‘Panda diplomacy,’ Malaysia introduced its own ‘Orangutan diplomacy’ in May, aiming to gift orangutans to countries that buy palm oil. However, due to significant backlash over removing orangutans from their natural habitat, the policy has been revised.
The updated proposal suggests that palm oil importers will now have the option to "sponsor" one or more orangutans instead.
As the world’s second-largest palm oil producer, Malaysia faces strong pressure to make its palm oil industry more sustainable.
Orangutans are native to the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra, regions shared by Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei.
Orangutan Status
Orangutans are large tree-dwelling mammals with distinctive red fur, spending over 90% of their waking hours in trees.
Found on Sumatra and in the Malaysian and Indonesian parts of Borneo,
Habitat ranges from lowland peat swamp forests to high-altitude mountainous forests up to 1.6 km above sea level.
Species: Bornean (Pongo pygmaeus), Sumatran (Pongo abelii), and Tapanuli orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis)
Intelligence: They share 96.4% of their genes with humans, highlighting their significance in conservation.
Size: Adult males are about twice the size of females, standing up to 1.3 meters tall and weighing up to 130 kg.
Appearance: They have long, sparse orange or reddish hair, arms longer than their legs, grasping hands and feet with long, curved fingers and toes, and mature males develop prominent cheek pads.
Lifespan: They can live up to 50 years in the wild.
Diet: Primarily eat fruit and leaves, such as lychees and figs, and also consume nuts, bark, insects, and occasionally bird eggs.
Social Structure: Orangutans are mostly solitary but may form groups known as parties during times of high fruit availability.
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Critically Endangered
