Orangutans in Borneo – critically endangered

 A program in Borneo is paying villagers to photograph wildlife instead of hunting it, turning former hunters into protectors of endangered species. Through the KehatiKu program, run by Borneo Futures, more than 800 people in nine villages in Indonesia’s West Kalimantan province earn up to $200 a month by uploading photos and audio recordings of animals, with bonuses for rare sightings like orangutans. Their contributions have produced 378,000 confirmed observations, including Critically Endangered and Endangered species like the Bornean orangutan and Abbott’s gibbon. “Where previously they caught one bird and it was worth 50,000 rupiah, now they just need to take a photo,” the program’s Indonesia director told AFP, while a 72-year-old farmer named Imelda said, “we really, really want to protect them.” One farmer said the extra income is helping pay for his children’s college educations. Funded through 2028 with $300,000 in philanthropic money, the program is expanding to two more villages next month, and its managing director says there’s now evidence that local forests and wildlife are “valued more for conservation than exploitation.”

‘Through increased awareness and education

World Animal Day (October 4th)

seeks to create a world where animals are always

recognized as sentient beings and full regard is always paid to their welfare.’

-carole king, american musician

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source credits: Aaron Parnas, Borneo Futures Science For Change, Kehati Ku