Letter: Orangutan population

I would like to point out that the Batang Toru populations of orangutans (“New orangutan population found in N. Sumatra” the Post, March 4) are in fact very well-known and well studied.

Indeed, both the East and West Batang Toru orangutan populations are referred to in several peer reviewed journal articles over the last 10 years and in the Indonesian government’s own National Conservation Strategy and Action Plan for Indonesia’s Orangutans, 2007-2017.

I can only assume therefore that either Siregar, or Erwinsyah of the Orangutan Conservation Services Program are not up-to-date on these matters or that the reporting journalist has misunderstood somehow.

Either way, with a species as critically endangered as the Sumatran orangutan I suggest people should be more careful in future when reporting the “discovery” of “new” populations.

Ian Singleton
Medan