Malaysia has revised its plan to send orangutans as gifts to countries that purchase its palm oil. Instead of exporting the endangered great apes, Malaysia will now offer an adoption program, keeping the orangutans within their natural habitat. This shift comes after conservationists expressed concern about the original plan, which was widely seen as a ‘panda diplomacy’ strategy, modeled after China’s practice of loaning pandas to foreign zoos.
The original plan sparked outcry among conservationists, highlighting the critical endangerment of orangutans. Their habitat has been shrinking due to logging and agricultural expansion, particularly for palm oil plantations.
The new adoption program will allow countries purchasing Malaysian palm oil to “sponsor” one or more orangutans. These funds will be directed towards conservation programs aimed at protecting the animals in their natural habitat. This includes collaborating with expert rangers to monitor the orangutans’ safety and well-being.
Plantation and Commodities Minister Johari Abdul Ghani emphasized that the adoption program will focus on in-situ conservation, with orangutans remaining in their natural habitat within forest areas or high conservation value patches within oil palm plantations. This ensures the orangutans have space to move freely, find food, and reproduce without human interference.
The decision to shift from export to adoption reflects a growing awareness of the importance of protecting orangutans in their natural environment. The new plan offers a more sustainable approach to orangutan conservation and may potentially serve as a model for other countries facing similar challenges with endangered species.
