Orangutan populations declining sharply

---

Scientists are raising concerns that orangutans may be the first kind of great ape to disappear from the earth. A new study published in the scientific journal Oryx says orangutan populations in Malaysia and Indonesia are decreasing faster than scientists have thought. Since 2004 orangutans have decreased by 14% in Sumatra and by 10% in Borneo. The study blames the destruction of forests by the wood and palm oil industries for the falling numbers of orangutans.