A billion-dollar gold mine is set to expand into a precious habitat of Indonesia's world's rarest ape, the Tapanuli orangutan. The project, backed by British multinational Jardine Matheson, aims to unlock valuable deposits worth nearly $2 billion. But environmental advocates warn that the expansion could push the critically endangered species towards extinction in just a few generations.
The mine, located near Indonesia's Batang Toru ecosystem, is set to cut through habitat critical for the survival of orangutans. Scientists say that even indirect effects of mining can be devastating to female orangutans, who are particularly sensitive to habitat loss and tend not to move when they lose parts of their home range.
"Amanda Hurowitz of Mighty Earth says: 'This is absolutely the wrong place to be digging for gold.' The Tapanuli orangutan is already one of the rarest ape species in the world, with fewer than 800 individuals left. And now, an estimated six to twelve orangutans could be displaced from their habitat due to the mine's expansion.
PT Agincourt Resources claims that the expansion will not harm the orangutans and has set aside a 2,000-hectare conservation zone within its concession. However, environmentalists remain skeptical about the company's plans. "You can't say that any great ape species is better with mining than without," says Erik Meijaard.
Even though PT Agincourt Resources signed a new conditional memorandum of understanding with the IUCN taskforce, allowing their scientists to provide independent input on the mine's development plans and mitigation strategy, experts warn that it may be too late. "If we really want to protect the species, we have to aim for zero losses," says Meijaard.
The Tapanuli orangutan is a unique species found only in Sumatra. It was discovered as recently as 2017 and has a distinct genetic makeup from other orangutan species. Its extinction could be catastrophic not just for Indonesia but also for the global ecosystem.
As mining companies around the world seek to capitalize on rising gold prices, environmentalists are sounding the alarm about the potential cost of progress to the planet's most vulnerable creatures.
The mine, located near Indonesia's Batang Toru ecosystem, is set to cut through habitat critical for the survival of orangutans. Scientists say that even indirect effects of mining can be devastating to female orangutans, who are particularly sensitive to habitat loss and tend not to move when they lose parts of their home range.
"Amanda Hurowitz of Mighty Earth says: 'This is absolutely the wrong place to be digging for gold.' The Tapanuli orangutan is already one of the rarest ape species in the world, with fewer than 800 individuals left. And now, an estimated six to twelve orangutans could be displaced from their habitat due to the mine's expansion.
PT Agincourt Resources claims that the expansion will not harm the orangutans and has set aside a 2,000-hectare conservation zone within its concession. However, environmentalists remain skeptical about the company's plans. "You can't say that any great ape species is better with mining than without," says Erik Meijaard.
Even though PT Agincourt Resources signed a new conditional memorandum of understanding with the IUCN taskforce, allowing their scientists to provide independent input on the mine's development plans and mitigation strategy, experts warn that it may be too late. "If we really want to protect the species, we have to aim for zero losses," says Meijaard.
The Tapanuli orangutan is a unique species found only in Sumatra. It was discovered as recently as 2017 and has a distinct genetic makeup from other orangutan species. Its extinction could be catastrophic not just for Indonesia but also for the global ecosystem.
As mining companies around the world seek to capitalize on rising gold prices, environmentalists are sounding the alarm about the potential cost of progress to the planet's most vulnerable creatures.
a billion-dollar gold mine in the last habitat of tapanuli orangutans?! i'm literally shaking thinking about it... we're talking endangered species here, only 800 individuals left and now you wanna dig for gold in their home? 
environmentalists are right to be skeptical. mining companies always saying one thing and doing another... we can't just let them exploit our planet for profit. 
but what about the lives of these amazing creatures? they're not just statistics, they're individuals with families and homes... can't we find a way to make money without sacrificing their future? 
i'm not saying it's gonna be easy but we gotta try.
globally speaking, of course. mining companies need to start thinking about the bigger picture, not just their next quarterly report 
... I mean, can't we just leave nature alone for once? 
Like, they're already super rare and now they might get pushed towards extinction because some greedy company wants to make a buck 
I remember when our planet was still pristine, no pollution, no climate change... just like that 
, and now it's all about progress and growth... at what cost? 
anyway I was watching this docu on Netflix last night about orangutans and it was so sad 
like they're already super rare and now we might lose them completely?! my aunt went to Indonesia once and said the wildlife is amazing 
but I don't know how much damage mining can do to animals... I guess it's just not worth the gold 
i cant believe they're gonna destroy a habitat for the tapanuli orangutan its already so rare and endangered 
cant they think about the bigger picture? saving one species should be our top priority 