It’s always heartbreaking to see how humans can interfere with and destroy the habitats of animals, especially when those animals truly have no where else to go.
One heartbreaking video is a reminder that human industrialization can have real victims, as displaced animal desperately tries to defend his home from a bulldozer.
Bornean orangutans are a critically endangered species, as deforestation has destroyed much of their native habitats. The survivors can be found sporadically in the forests of Indonesia, but they are under constant threat.
A major threat to their survival is the rapid expansion of the palm oil industry. Rainforests are completely cleared to make room for palm oil plantations, destroying the orangutans’ already sparse habitats.
This deforestation is done with little concern for the native species, but one viral video is a reminder of the devastating effects it has.
According to Protect All Wildlife, the video was taken in 2013 and released years later by the International Animal Rescue. It shows the scene of a deforestation project in Ketapang District, West Borneo… but as a bulldozer approaches, one orangutan desperately tries to defend his home:
It seems the orangutan was residing in the tree the construction crew has torn down.
According to Protect All Wildlife, two members of IAR’s Orangutan Protection Unit tried to dart the ape to get him to safety. However, he wasn’t going down without a fight.
The orangutan climbs across the tree trunk and seems to try to fight off the bulldozer, trying to protect his home:
Of course, the animals’ valiant efforts were no match for the gigantic bulldozer or the deforestation project, and at the end of the video we see the ape run off as construction continues.
Luckily, it seems that this ape made it out okay:
“Despite all the obstacles thrown at them, our team were able to rescue this orangutan and bring him to safety,” the IAR said.
“Unfortunately, scenes like this are becoming more and more frequent in Indonesia. Deforestation has caused the orangutan population to plummet; habitats are destroyed, and orangutans are left to starve and die.”
What a heartbreaking video. No animal should have to lose their home to make way for a plantation, let alone one so critically endangered.
Something needs to be done to curb all this deforestation and protect the few remaining Bornean orangutans. Share this story to spread the word!