Musicians serenade orangutans

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A number of local bands are staging a charity concert to raise funds for the protection of the critically endangered orangutan on Sunday evening in Jakarta.
Efek Rumah Kaca, White Shoes and the Couples Company, and Navicula will perform in the Sound for Orangutans at the Rolling Stones Café in Kemang, South Jakarta, at 6 p.m. Monkeyboots, The Billysentris, Miskin Porno, Fikar Cartman, Dear Nancy, Jova and The Pain Killers will also perform at the event.
Tickets cost Rp 80,000 (US$8.35).
According to the Center for Orangutan Protection, which organized the show, 100 percent of the proceeds will go toward the protection of orangutans in Indonesia. The organizer expects 1,000 people to attend the concert.
Bintang Dian Pertiwi, coordinator of the concert, said the show adopted the theme of One Sound, One APE (animals, people and the environment) and called for more serious efforts to protect the orangutan.
“We call for the attention of everyone, regardless of professional background, who cares about protecting the orangutan,” she said.
At the concert venue, the audience can obtain detailed information and current facts about the big ape through photos and videos provided by the Center for Orangutan Protection. Bintang said that the concert was hosted to commemorate World Animal Day on Oct. 4.
Decades ago, orangutans could be found throughout Southeast Asia. However, massive illegal logging and land clearing for oil palm plantations have encroached on the orangutans’ habitat. Not only do humans destroy the forests, they also hunt and kill orangutans when they enter plantations.
Today, orangutans can be found only in Kalimantan and Sumatra, with the population less than 55,000.