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Orangutan guide: species facts, diet and best places to see - Discover Wildlife

About Orangutan Diplomacy:

    • It is a proposed policy by Malaysia to use orangutans as diplomatic gifts to palm oil-purchasing countries.
  • It is inspired by China’s Panda diplomacy, where pandas are used as diplomatic tools and for promoting wildlife conservation.
  • Aim: To address concerns about the environmental impact of palm oil production, particularly on orangutan habitats.
  • Criticism: The proposal faced backlash for being hypocritical and unethical, as it involved gifting endangered animals from habitats threatened by the palm oil industry.

About Orangutan:

  • These are great apes native to the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia. 
  • Known for their reddish-brown fur and their highly intelligent behavior. 
  • There are three species of orangutan: Sumatran (Critically Endangered), Bornean (Endangered), and Tapanuli (most endangered of all great apes).
  • IUCN Status: Critically Endangered

Why in News?

Recently Malaysia’s Plantation and Commodities Minister revised the proposal from gifting endangered orangutans to palm oil-purchasing countries to offering sponsorships for their conservation within Malaysia.