Katie

Cleary Promoting Orangutan Conservation

By Dr. Jordan Carlton Schaul
Dr. Schaul is a carnivore biologist, veterinary health scientist, and an animal trainer
for companion animals and captive wildlife

Katie Cleary has been surrounded by beautiful people her entire life. The actress and
model was voted one of Peoples 100 most beautiful people in recent years. But what
drives this Hollywood starlet to save some of Earths most imperiled species? Well,
some of the most beautiful places in the world are under threat and in imminent
danger of losing some of our planets most magnificent wildlife species, said

Katie. Through Clearys nonprofit organizationPeace4Animals, she has endeavored

to raise money for various wildlife causes around the globe.
One of the campaigns closest to her heart focuses on the conservation of the
Bornean orangutans. The Bornean orangutan, which is comprised of three
subspecies, can be found on Malaysia and Indonesia, two of the three countries that
are located on this island of Borneo, the largest island in Asia.
Although, the Bornean orangutan is not critically endangered like its cousin the
Sumatran orangutan, it is still considered endangered by the International Union
for the Conservation of Nature (See the IUCN Red List). There are as many six times
the number of Bornean orangutans than there are Sumatran orangutans living in the
wild, but the Bornean species is considered to have less genetic diversity, which
itself is detrimental to preserving this island population of great apes.
The Bornean orangutan is also less social and less arboreal than the Sumatran
orangutan, but both species of red ape are just as impressive to observe and study in
nature. There are few species as beautiful as orangutans, and few places as beautiful
as the mountainous jungles of Borneo.
The orangutan is a keystone species, and according to Cleary, losing them would
have a significant impact on other threatened and endangered forest dwelling
species. Hence, she and Peace4Animals have challenged people to stop palm oil
companies from destroying the rainforests in the region.
Peace4Animals also supports an initiative of the World Land Trust (WLT) to create
the Keruak Corridor. The wildlife corridor will link Borneos Keruak Forest Reserve
with one part of Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary and the effort is a
collaboration with WLTs partner NGO in Malaysia, Hutan.


Reposted from THE DODO