Throughout the history of the world, species have evolved to adapt to their changing environment. Some species have excelled at this and have adapted well; others have struggled to survive and are facing the danger of extinction. Mankind must decide if keeping these failing species alive is worth the cost and resources. Each species is unique and different, and their contributions vary. Each should be considered on an individual basis. I have selected the orangutans to look at in more detail to determine what should be done. Orangutans have lived in the forests for 100s of years, but their numbers are quickly dropping. They have become critically endangered, and it is common for them to be hunted and taken from their homes to be sold as pets. In the rain forest, their home, orangutans help disperse seeds for plant growth. There are three types …show more content…
They only have 1 offspring every 3-5 years. This means that even if we would waste millions of dollars supporting them, it would take decades for them to start to recover. Because of the vast amount of time it would take, we would be wasting billions of dollars keeping this species alive. The females often won’t mate for many years, even when they can, and they will only mate with an unflanged male if he has proven himself against a flanged male. This causes more fights and injuries, but less offspring. Another factor that is leading to the decline of the orangutans, is that they are forced into solitude. This is because the orangutan’s food supply is running low in the rain forest on the Southeast Asian islands of Borneo and Sumatra. Instead of adapting and trying new foods, they follow the tradition of their fathers and only eat food that their mothers taught them were okay to eat. From the lack of food, there isn’t enough for more than one orangutan in the area. This, as stated above, is where the forced solitude comes