Extinctions In Near Time: Biodiversity Loss Since The Pleistocene

Bartholomew: Hey guys. So last week I took my family to the zoo where we watched a show about orangutans. I was a little upset to hear that they’re declining in numbers. Anyway, last night I met up with Nicole Ruiz, a Stanford student interested in orangutan conservation, and she let me in on the little things that make orangutans so special. Tune in to find out what I learned! Interview: B: Hi Nicole, thanks for taking the time out to speak with me. So what can you tell me about orangutans? What makes them so special? N: So I’d like to begin by giving you a little background of where they live. Wild orangs are located on either the island of Sumatra or Borneo. Sumatran orangutans are more critically endangered, though. They have a population of about 7000. Bornean orangutans have a population of about 50000. I don’t know if you know this, but orangutans are one of the great apes. This includes chimps, gorillas, bonobos, humans, and, of course, orangutans. B: Wait--so are you telling me these animals are clos