Endangered Animals in Indonesia
By: Sabrina Suryaputri G. 2201814992
The phrase ‘endangered animals’ may be a familiar sound, but do we really know what it means? According to the cambridge dictionary, the term ‘endangered animals’ translates to ‘a type of animal or plant that might stop existing because there are only a few of that type alive’ . The national geographic community once posted their theory regarding endangered animals. It stated that ‘an endangered species is a type of organism that is threatened by extinction. Species become endangered for two main reasons: loss of habitat and loss of genetic variation’.
As mentioned before, there are two main reasons why an animal becomes endangered. The first one being due to the loss of habitat. The loss of habitat may be due to natural reasons; for instance, 65 million years ago, the extinction of dinosaurs was caused by a sudden drop on the earth’s temperature which was likely to be due to an asteroid attack. However, human activity such as development of housing, industry, and agriculture can also be the reason behind the loss of habitat. Secondly, animals may become endangered due to the loss of genetic variation. Genetic variation allows species to adapt to changes in the environment. Animals with tendencies to inbreed, reproduction with a close family member, usually have few generic variations. Inbred groups are also more likely to catch deadly diseases. Just like the previous topic, humans can also cause the loss of genetic variation through overhunting and overfishing. We can’t control the natural aspects of these problems. However, the only variable we can control is the human aspect of it.
Every year, the number of Orangutans that inhabits Borneo, Kalimantan decreases. This is due to the fact that the area of forests is getting smaller and smaller as time passes. Another example is the Komodos in Komodo Island’s inability to reproduce because of the complexity of the process leading up to their inercourses, where a male Komodo must spar with another in order to wed with the female Komodo. Even if a baby Komodo is successfully born, the newborn may not be able to continue to live due to bigger Komodos that devours them. The three most endangered animal species in Indonesia includes; the Sumatran Tiger which was pronounced extinct in 1937, but is now proven to still exist in a very small amount, around 500 to be exact; Wondowoi Tree Koala which inhabits Papua has the very least amount of its species left out of the three with only around 50 left; and lastly, the Pesut Mahakam with only around 70 of them left, establishes themselves as the most endangered sea creature.
As a very biodiverse country, the Indonesian government has taken several steps to ensure the protection of its local animals. One example of the measures taken to protect the wildlife in Indonesia is creating laws that ensures the protection of the animals. These laws include; Government Regulation No. 602007 Regarding the Conservation of Fishery Resources, Act on the Conservation of Biological Resources and their Ecosystems Act No. 5 of 1990, and Decree of the Ministry of Industry and Trade No. 476MPPKep82004. These laws were enacted so that people can treat their surroundings accordingly and does not damage the enviroment around them. This should be done or the sake of humans, and the sake of other living creatures.
Therefore, to lessen the amount of endangered animals in Indonesia, officials must give education to all citizens regarding the importance of ensuring the wellbeing of animals around them. This includes treating their surrounding enviroment accordingly so that they don’t damage it. Supporting organizations that protects the safety of animals such as WWF is also a measure that should be taken by all citizens. Thus, as fellow earth inhabitants, humans should control and eliminate actions that may damage the surrounding ecosystem.
